IRLF 


3   571 


ILIOWJZT 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

GIFT  OF 

MRS.   MARY  WOLFSOHN 

IN    MEMORY   OF 

HENRY  WOLFSOHN 


IN  THE  PALE 


STORIES  AND  LEGENDS  OF  THE  RUSSIAN  JEWS 


HENRY  ILIOWIZI 


THE  JEWISH  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY  OF  AMERICA 
l897 


COPYRIGHT,  1897 
BY  THK  JEWISH  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY  OF  AMERICA 


PRESS  OF 
KDWARD  STERN  &  Co.,  INC., 

PHILADELPHIA. 


TO  MY  WIFE 

these  pages  are  most  affectionately 
inscribed 


A  WORD  TO  THE  READER 

IN  explanation  of  some  features  of  the 
following  tales  and  of  the  Russo- Judean 
genius  for  story-telling  in  general,  it  should 
be  remembered  that  the  tellers  of  the  tales 
current  in  Russian  Jewry  are  students  of 
the  Talmud,  accustomed  to  the  hyperbole 
characteristic  of  much  of  the  unique  litera 
ture  to  which  they  devote  their  lives.  It  is 
not  too  hazardous  to  say  that  in  point  of 
inventiveness  they  can  vie  with  the  Arabian 
Nights  Entertainments,  and  in  ideality  and 
moral  elevation  they  far  surpass  them. 

These  tales  of  fact,  folklore,  and  fiction 
may  serve  to  open  a  window  of  the  great 
dungeon  wherein  at  least  half  of  scattered 
Israel  suffers,  worships,  and  dreams.  Living 
in  a  gloomy  present,  and  ever  picturing  a 
golden  future ;  languishing  in  wretchedness 
here,  while  never  losing  hope  in  a  blessed 
hereafter,  it  is  a  race  that  has  learned  to 
weep  and  laugh  at  the  same  time.  Now  and 
(7) 


A  WORD  TO  THE  READER 

IN  explanation  of  some  features  of  the 
following  tales  and  of  the  Russo- Judean 
genius  for  story-telling  in  general,  it  should 
be  remembered  that  the  tellers  of  the  tales 
current  in  Russian  Jewry  are  students  of 
the  Talmud,  accustomed  to  the  hyperbole 
characteristic  of  much  of  the  unique  litera 
ture  to  which  they  devote  their  lives.  It  is 
not  too  hazardous  to  say  that  in  point  of 
inventiveness  they  can  vie  with  the  Arabian 
Nig/its'  Entertainments,  and  in  ideality  and 
moral  elevation  they  far  surpass  them. 

These  tales  of  fact,  folklore,  and  fiction 
may  serve  to  open  a  window  of  the  great 
dungeon  wherein  at  least  half  of  scattered 
Israel  suffers,  worships,  and  dreams.  Living 
in  a  gloomy  present,  and  ever  picturing  a 
golden  future ;  languishing  in  wretchedness 
here,  while  never  losing  hope  in  a  blessed 
hereafter,  it  is  a  race  that  has  learned  to 
weep  and  laugh  at  the  same,  time.  Now  and 
(7) 


8  A    WORD   TO   THE   READER 

then  the  scene  is  tinged  with  the  melo 
dramatic,  but  it  never  fails  to  convey  pro 
found  faith,  deep  reverence,  lofty  morality, 
proud  self-consciousness,  and  sublime  spir 
ituality. 

That  the  Russian  Jew  is  in  possession  of 
enough  material  for  tales  of  woe,  needed  no 
demonstration.  What  the  world  does  not 
yet  appreciate  is  his  optimism,  his  readiness 
to  laugh  at  the  humorous  sides  of  life,  and 
his  ability  to  make  others  laugh  at  them. 

THE  AUTHOR 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

EZRA  AND  HULDAH ii 

THE  BAAL-SHEM  AND  His  GOLEM 136 

FRIENDS  IN  LIEE  AND  IN  DEATH 172 

CZAR  NICHOLAS  THE  FIRST  AND  SIR  MOSES  MONTE- 

FIORE 249 

THE  CZAR  IN  ROTHSCHILD'S  CASTLE 274 

THE  LEGEND  OE  THE  TEN  LOST  TRIBES 309 

THE  LEGEND  OE  THE  B'NAI  MOSHEH 343 


EZRA  AND  HULDAH 

I 
THE  STAR'S  MYSTERIOUS  TAIL 

TANGIER  is  held  by  the  Moors  to  be  the 
most  beautiful  city  of  the  Eastern 
hemisphere,  and  their  patriotic  conceit  is 
explained  by  the  circumstance  that  very 
few  of  Moslem  birth  go  to  the  trouble  of 
crossing  the  Strait  to  look  even  at  the  great 
fortress  of  Gibraltar.  Indeed,  a  distant 
glimpse  of  the  Moorish  Paris  inclines  one 
to  favor  the  native  view  of  its  deceptive 
magnificence.  As  your  steamer  ploughs  the 
water,  sunny  glories  playing  around  you, 
your  eye  is  dazzled  by  the  maze  of  human 
habitations,  bathed  in  the  morning's  radiant 
splendor  as  they  lie  spread  out  on  the  rising 
coast,  its  highest  acclivity  on  the  side  toward 
the  narrowing  strait,  through  which  old  At 
lantic  pours  his  surplus  brine  into  the  his 
toric,  song-consecrated  Inland  Sea.  The  ag 
in) 


12  IN   THE   PALE 

glomeration  of  dwellings  is  encompassed  by 
a  white,  irregular  wall  about  eleven  feet  high, 
punctuated  here  and  there  by  a  tower  and 
a  battlement,  as  patent  evidence  of  its  being 
a  fortress,  though  a  fortress  like  Jericho, 
frowning  fearfully,  but  betraying  symptoms 
of  being  barely  able  to  withstand  the  blast 
of  a  trumpet,  as  the  French  demonstrated 
not  very  long  ago. 

Tangier  has  made  a  record  for  herself,  is 
accounted  one  of  the  oldest  African  cities, 
once  was  the  capital  of  a  kingdom,  but  is 
now  a  faded  relic  of  past  glories.  As  you 
draw  nearer  the  walls,  your  look  betrays 
disappointment.  What  a  difference  between 
impregnable  Gibraltar,  but  a  few  miles  be 
hind,  and  this  dilapidated  stronghold!  If 
them  art  not  widowed,  fair  city,  then  must 
thy  lord  be  either  drunk  or  insane.  So 
heaven-favored  and  so  neglected !  Here  is 
an  illustration  of  Beauty  wedded  to  the 
Beast. 

Of  Gibraltar  a  poet  of  Granada  says 
that  it  is  "  as  a  beacon  shedding  its  rays 
over  the  multitudinous  seas,  and  rising  far 


EZRA    AND   HULDAH  13 

above  the  neighboring  mountains ;  one 
would  say  that  its  eyes  are  watching  the 
stars  in  their  heavenly  tracks." 

After  Tarik-Ibn  Zeyed  landed  his  aggres 
sive  host  at  the  foot  of  Gibraltar,  that  fam 
ous  Tarshish  stood  many  a  siege,  changed 
masters  many  a  time,  until  undaunted 
Britain  transformed  it  into  a  dormant, 
thousand-mouthed  dragon,  not  unprepared 
to  belch  forth  thousandfold  thunder,  fire, 
and  death.  Iron  nerves  alone  would  enable 
one  to  endure  the  deafening  bursts  of  can 
non  which  shake  the  rock  to  its  centre  on 
Victoria's  birthday.  Gibraltar  honoring 
royalty  conveys  a  fair  idea  of  sky-com 
pelling  Jove  shaking  the  heavens  and  the 
abysses  with  thunder. 

Our  steamer  throws  anchor  before  Tangier. 
Look  at  those  walls !  How  mournful !  Wide 
gaps  unrepaired,  plenty  of  withered  moss 
and  loose  rolling  stones,  nests  of  swallows, 
piles  of  debris,  masses  of  cobweb,  rusty  can 
non  of  the  oldest  pattern,  unwatched, 
uncleaned,  bearing  the  indelible  marks  of 
decay!  Here  nature  smiles,  and  man  is 


14  IN   THE   PALE 

wretched.  During  nine  months  of  the  year 
the  climate  along  the  Moorish  coast  facing- 
Spain  is  delightful.  Yet,  notwithstanding 
the  benignity  of  the  skies  and  the  fertility  of 
the  soil,  man  vegetates  here  in  squalor,  pov 
erty,  and  ignorance,  the  historic  trinity  of 
Oriental  barbarism.  Nature  blooms  and 
blossoms  in  vain.  The  fig,  the  cactus,  the 
orange,  and  the  citron  grow  wild.  The 
groves  are  delicious  when  in  blossom,  Hes 
perian  when  loaded  with  golden  fruit,  but 
superstition,  fanaticism,  and  indolence  are 
the  chronic  plagues  of  unenlightened  Islam, 
and  anarchy  is  the  result. 

And  who  are  those  bustling  people 
yonder,  sunburnt,  dark-eyed,  black-haired, 
ragged,  shabby;  dirty  mufflers  or  caps 
on  their  heads ;  barefoot,  feet  unwashed 
and  surmounted  by  sinewy  calves ;  poor 
fellows,  all  eagerness  to  be  serviceable  ? 
Children  of  Israel  they,  whose  progenitors 
Catholic  Hispania  drove  from  the  land  of 
their  birth,  the  country  they  dearly  loved. 
Here  they  are,  humble  porters  on  the  beach, 
ready  to  rush  into  the  water,  and  bear 


EZRA   AND    HULDAH  15 

traveller  and  baggage  on  their  shoulders  to 
the  shore,  destitute  of  landing-place  or 
wharf.  Their  eyes  gleam  at  the  sight  of  the 
silver  coin  you  hand  them.  They  eat  the 
bread  of  poverty,  and  have  emptied  the  cup 
of  misery,  but  are  resigned  to  their  sad  lot. 
We  are  on  land,  and  as  we  enter  the  first 
precinct  of  the  harbor,  we  are  at  once  struck 
by  the  palpable  reality  that  the  fine  art  of 
sweeping  has  not  been  cultivated  hereabout, 
where  things  clean  and  unclean,  living  and 
dead,  lie  pell-mell,  undisturbed.  A  thought 
ful  donkey,  philosophically  indifferent  to  the 
latest  conclusion  reached  by  the  evolutionist 
with  regard  to  his  pedigree,  gets  a  vigorous 
kick  from  the  fortunately  unarmed  heel  of 
our  porter,  and  he  plods  on  without  as  much 
as  changing  his  mien  or  gait.  We  are  used 
to  this  kind  of  treatment,  we  poor  creatures, 
he  might  say,  had  he  the  eloquence  of 
Balaam's  animal.  Poor  brute  !  Yet,  com 
pared  with  the  fate  of  his  master,  his  is  the 
happier  life.  He  has  no  religion  to  suffer 
for.  The  votaries  of  the  mosque  have  no 
tortures  for  him. 


l6  IN  THE   PALE 

Our  trunks  are  solemnly  opened  before  a 
tribunal  of  turbaned  Moslems,  nobles  of  long 
beards  and  white,  flowing  garments.  One 
article  after  the  other  is  carefully  examined, 
and  declared  free  of  duty.  We  are  politely 
dismissed,  and  proceed  to  enter  the  city 
proper  in  triumph,  astride  on  a  donkey. 

In  1874  the  inhabitants  of  Tangier  were 
startled  by  an  appearance  in  the  skies.  A 
comet  of  enormous  size,  growing  daily  in 
bulk  and  lustre,  amazed  Moslem  and  Jew. 
Ominous  prophecies  multiplied  as  the  days 
advanced,  and  the  "  star's  tail,"  as  it  was 
popularly  called,  shot  its  luminous  volume 
athwart  the  mysterious  empyrean.  Every 
evening  thousands  of  pale  faces  turned  to 
the  celestial  wonder.  What  might  it  fore 
shadow  ?  Nothing  good,  the  faithful  agreed. 
Whether  it  foretold  pestilence,  war,  famine, 
or  the  end  of  the  world,  even  Rabbi  Nahon 
hesitated  to  decide,  and  his  was  the  wisest 
head  in  the  Mellah  (Jewish  quarter).  To  his 
wife  the  venerable  sage  intimated  that  the 
star's  tail  pointed  to  the  approach  of  the 
stirring  period  of  Gog  and  Magog,  the  worst 


EZRA    AND    HULDATI  17 

in  store  for  humanity.  The  good  woman 
gave  the  information  in  strict  confidence  to 
her  several  friends,  and  they  confided  the 
secret  to  their  dear  ones,  so  that  Gog  and 
Magog  was  the  whisper  of  the  hour  and  the 
bugbear  of  the  faithful.  Little  prophets 
rose  daily ;  one  fancy  made  room  for  an 
other,  until  one  morning  the  Jewish  com 
munity  was  thrown  into  a  frenzy  of  excite 
ment  by  a  something  people  had  never 
heard  of  before.  This  was  the  cause. 

Ben  Uliel,  a  very  pious  young  man,  had 
made  it  his  business,  after  days  of  prayer 
and  fasting,  to  watch  the  development  of 
the  heavenly  prodigy.  His  eyes — so  he  re 
ported  the  sight  vouchsafed  unto  him— 
shortly  after  midnight  discerned  a  dim  light 
about  the  outlines  of  the  comet.  Soon  the 
bright  edge  turned  crimson,  and  the  central 
mass  shone  like  the  glowing  sun.  This  was 
followed  by  a  change  in  shape.  The  thin  end 
of  the  comet  grew  thinner,  the  other  extreme 
broadened,  the  whole  assuming  the  form  of 
a  perfect  trumpet,  which  flashed  upon  the 
eye  with  the  intense  beauty  of  a  brilliant 


18  IN   THE   PALE 

rainbow.  Presently  there  was  an  outburst 
of  splendor  in  the  background  of  the  starry 
heavens,  whence  a  power  on  wings,  all  glory 
and  radiance,  sped  forth  toward  the  enor 
mous  trumpet.  Taking  hold  of  the  ethereal 
instrument,  the  power  filled  infinite  space 
with  such  music  as  human  ears  had  never 
heard.  When  the  notes  had  died  away, 
the  trumpet  underwent  an  instantaneous 
change,  assuming  the  shape  of  a  fiery  throne, 
on  which  the  self-same  power,  now  a  crowned 
might,  was  seated,  sceptre  in  hand,  pointing 
toward  the  East.  Hereupon  a  great  cry,  as 
of  a  battling  army,  stirred  the  universe  with 
the  multitudinous  roar:  "  Rise,  Jerusalem  ; 
rise,  Jerusalem ! "  Ben  Uliel  fell  upon  his 
face  overawed.  When  he  rose,  there  was 
nothing  but  the  original  star's  tail  and 
silence. 

The  commotion  spread  from  the  Jewish  to 
the  Moorish  population  of  Tangier.  Ben 
Uliel  reported  his  vision  with  circumstantial 
details,  which,  in  the  minds  of  the  pious, 
gave  it  the  significance  of  a  revelation.  A 
trumpet  of  light,  a  heavenly  monarch,  his 


EZRA    AND    HULL) All  19 

sceptre  pointing-  eastward,  the  cry  of  "Rise, 
Jerusalem,"  what  could  it  signify,  if  not  the 
coming  of  the  Messiah  ?  Rabbi  Nahon  said 
nothing,  but  he  shook  his  head  significantly, 
which  was  sufficient  to  keep  pious  cred 
ulity  at  fever  heat,  particularly  as  his  wife 
had  a  great  deal  to  say  about  what  she 
assumed  her  husband's  head-shaking  to  im 
ply.  The  resident  consuls  smiled,  but  the 
Pasha  took  a  very  serious  view  of  the  mat 
ter.  He  sent  for  Ben  Uliel,  made  him  repeat 
his  vision,  gave  him  a  present  as  a  token  of 
friendship  and  respect,  looked  very  grave, 
and  ordered  the  Jew  to  be  mounted  on  one  of 
his  dark  mules  and  to  be  escorted  home  as  a 
man  of  distinction.  In  view  of  the  ferocious 
temper  of  the  fanatic  Pasha  and  his  chronic 
hostility  to  the  Jews,  his  treatment  of  Ben 
Uliel  was  naturally  seen  in  the  light  of  a 
confirmation  of  the  approach  of  the  Mes 
sianic  era. 

There  was  at  this  time  a  stranger  in 
Tangier,  who  seemed  to  have  no  eyes  for 
the  star's  tail,  nor  for  anything  around  him. 
The  man  attracted  notice  wherever  he  ap- 


20  IN   THE   PALE 

peared,  but  nobody,  except  Rabbi  Nahon, 
held  intercourse  with.  him.  Who  was  he  ? 
For  once  the  Rabbi's  wife  would  not  say  a 
word,  leaving  her  friends  to  guess  at  the 
identity  of  the  mysterious  stranger.  He 
was  often  seen  around  the  massive  light 
house  of  Cape  Spartel,  sometimes  on  the  top 
of  the  tower,  sending  his  eye  eastward  over 
the  huge  Pillars  of  Hercules.  "The  winds, 
the  winds,  who  can  control  the  winds ! " 
Nothing  else  escaped  his  lips.  What  was 
he  looking  for  ?  What  was  he  thinking  of  ? 
Within  his  horizon  lay  many  a  scene  of 
vicissitudinous  history  to  set  a  contem 
plative  mind  thinking.  Mount  Abyla  to  his 
right,  Mount  Calpe  to  his  left,  round  which 
olden  memories  cluster,  are  rocks  dear 
to  the  races  that  rule,  well  known  to  the 
ancients,  the  Phoenicians,  Hebrews,  Greeks, 
Romans,  and  Carthaginians.  Mutability  is 
writing  her  decrees  everywhere  save  in  the 
stars  and  the  soul  of  man.  What  waves  of 
humanity,  since  the  fabled  catastrophe  of 
Atlantis,  have  not  swept  athwart  yonder 
Strait!  Here  races  struggled  for  suprem- 


EZRA    AND   IIULDAII  21 

acy.  The  worshippers  of  Baal  and  Astarte, 
those  of  Jupiter,  of  the  Unity,  and  the 
Trinity — here  they  strove  to  leave  an  indeli 
ble  record  of  their  activity.  The  pitched 
battles  fought  between  Rome  and  Carthage, 
Rome  and  the  dreaded  Celtiberi,  Rome  and 
the  Vandal,  Rome  and  the  Frank,  formed 
but  a  prelude  to  the  yet  fiercer  combats 
which,  for  eight  centuries,  raged  between 
Goth  and  Arab,  beginning  with  the  fall  of 
Don  Roderick,  the  last  Gothic  king,  and 
closing  with  the  overthrow  of  Boabdil,  the 
last  Moorish  prince  of  Granada.  What 
material  for  a  great  epopee  ! 

But  the  stranger  gave  those  phantoms  of 
the  past  no  thought.  To  him  history  was 
a  blank.  In  his  hand  he  held  a  telegram 
signed  "  Ezra  and  Huldah."  This  he  read 
again  and  again,  each  time  adding  the 
refrain :  "  The  winds,  the  winds,  who  can 
control  the  winds !" 

On  his  way  to  the  gate  of  the  city,  he  con 
tinued  to  soliloquize  disconnectedly,  always 
winding  up  with  "  The  winds,  the  winds, 
who  can  control  the  winds  !"  Of  whom,  of 


22  IN   THE   PALE 

what  did  he  speak?  The  soliloquy  referred 
to  "  my  sweetest  child  and  that  superb 
youth."  With  them  was  linked  "  that  godly 
Messenger  of  Zion  whom  Almighty  sent  to 
the  rescue  of  my  daughter."  Before  we  learn 
about  the  "  child "  and  the  "  youth,"  we 
must  know  somewhat  of  the  Messenger  of 
Zion. 

At  certain  times  a  Messenger  from  the 
Holy  Land  is  expected  to  appear  in  the 
remotest  Jewish  communities  of  Europe, 
where  free  contributions  are  offered  for 
the  support  of  the  pious  men  and  women 
who  spend  their  last  days  in  the  land  of 
promise.  The  person  of  the  Messenger  is 
invested  with  such  reverence  as  good  Cath 
olics  associate  with  the  Papal  Legate.  The 
young  and  the  old  gather  around  the  pict 
uresque  figure,  eager  to  shake  the  emissary 
by  the  hand,  to  get  a  good  look  at  his 
Oriental  attire,  and  above  all,  to  hear  what 
he  deigns  to  communicate  about  things 
in  the  God-consecrated  regions ;  about  the 
tombs  of  the  prophets ;  about  the  Cave 
of  Machpelah,  wherein  the  patriarchal 


EZRA    AND    HULDAII  23 

couples  are  entombed ;  about  the  relic  of 
Zion's  fallen  Sanctuary,  at  which  the  faithful 
gather  to  pray  and  weep  over  the  destruc 
tion  of  God's  own  city ;  and  about  the  fox 
which  yearly  bounds  over  the  ruin  on 
Moriah  on  the  anniversary  of  the  Temple's 
fall. 

As  a  rule,  the  Messenger  knows  how  to 
satisfy  these  innocent  cravings  of  devout 
souls,  and  he  manages  to  hold  his  hearers 
spell-bound  by  his  tales  of  wonder.  How 
ever  incredible  the  story,  nobody  doubts  the 
Messenger's  word.  The  Messenger  has 
favors  to  bestow,  and  they  may  be  secured 
for  a  consideration.  In  his  possession  are 
small  bags  filled  with  the  sand  of  the  hal 
lowed  soil.  Placed  under  the  head  of  the 
dead,  it  is  believed  to  protect  the  body  from 
decomposition.  Inexhaustible  like  the 
chips  of  the  "  genuine  cross  "  sold  to  votaries 
by  saintly  monks,  the  quantity  of  the 
coveted  material  distributed  by  the  Mes 
senger  to  his  favored  friends  would  justify 
the  supposition  that  he  has  a  cargo  of 
Moriah's  earth  at  his  disposal.  The  man  is 


24  IN   THE   PALE 

above  suspicion,  however,  and  the  happy 
owner  of  the  post-mortem  head-rest  feels 
like  the  ancient  Pharaoh  at  the  sight  of 
his  pyramid  sepulchre. 

This  little  business  the  Messenger  does 
on  his  own  account.  His  recognized  mission 
is  to  get  the  contents  of  the  tin  boxes 
conspicuously  placed  in  almost  all  Jewish 
homes  and  emptied  periodically  only  by 
authorized  persons.  Into  the  slots  of 
these  boxes  goes  every  coin  saved  for  the 
sake  of  sweet  charity.  Before  the  Jewess 
lays  her  hands  on  her  eyes  preliminary  to 
the  blessing  of  the  Sabbath  candles,  fol 
lowed  by  the  blessing  uttered  over  the  heads 
of  her  children,  a  coin  or  two  is  dropped  into 
the  box.  A  capacious  receptacle  is  put  up 
in  each  synagogue  for  the  same  purpose. 
The  Messenger  is  entrusted  with  the  sum 
total,  there  being  no  doubt  of  his  integrity, 
and  he  is  dismissed  with  heartiness,  as  he 
was  received  and  entertained  with  unstinted 
hospitality. 

The  Messenger  of  Zion  referred  to  by  the 
stranger  was  not  of  the  common  type,  as 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  25 

will  become  manifest  when  we  are  familiar 
with  his  nature. 

It  was  considered  a  singular  coincidence 
that,  while  the  star's  tail  was  the  all  absorb 
ing  topic  of  conversation  and  speculation,  it 
transpired  that  the  Messenger  of  Zion  was 
on  his  way  to  Tangier.  His  coming  was  one 
of  those  important  secrets  which  the  Rabbi 
entrusted  to  his  wife,  and  she  to  her  confi 
dential  friends.  The  good  woman  expected 
the  Messenger  with  unusual  anxiety,  an 
anxiety  shared  by  her  beauteous  daughter, 
Donna,  who  corresponded  with  Zemach  Ben 
David  in  purest  Hebrew  on  the  tenderest  of 
subjects.  The  romantic  relation  dated  back 
to  a  previous  occasion,  when  the  youthful 
Zemach  had  passed  the  happiest  fortnight 
of  his  life  under  the  Rabbi's  roof.  This 
was  the  Messenger  to  whom  the  stranger 
referred. 

The  stranger  was  a  new  friend  of  the  spir 
itual  head  of  the  Mellah,  a  new-comer  in  the 
place,  and  much  whispered  of  as  an  odd  in 
dividual.  The  man  looked  as  though  he 
had  long  ago  been  taken  half-broken  from 


26  IN   THE   PALE 

the  wheel  of  torture,  and  restored  to  a  de 
formed  existence.  Though  his  limbs  seemed 
out  of  joint,  he  was  tall  and  massive  in 
frame.  His  lower  jaw  was  distorted  and 
pointed,  and  it  protruded  to  a  line  with  his 
crooked  nose,  which  was  surmounted  by 
heavy  eyebrows,  blending'  into  one  streak  of 
grizzly  hair  across  his  countenance.  They 
were  almost  as  bushy  as  the  untended  mus 
tache,  which  barely  covered  the  upper  of  a 
pair  of  thick  lips,  swelling  and  spreading  at 
the  least  effort  to  utter  speech.  The  whole 
was  redeemed  by  two  large,  deep,  black 
eyes,  never  to  be  forgotten  when  seen  once, 
and  an  appealing  rather  than  repellant  ex 
pression  ;  in  all,  a  physiognomy  bearing 
lines  of  great  suffering,  and  calling  forth 
reverent  sympathy  in  the  observer. 

It  was  early  in  the  morning.  During  the 
night  the  rain  had  descended  in  torrents, 
and  there  was  no  break  in  the  clouds  even 
at  this  hour.  On  the  shore  the  unfailing 
porter  was  represented  in  great  numbers,  his 
experienced  eye  fixed  on  a  speck  far  away 
in  the  hazy  atmosphere  above  the  surge. 


EZRA    AND   HULDAII  27 

"She  is  coming  in,"  said  one  to  his  fellow. 

"  Yes,  it  is  she,"  replied  the  one  spoken  to. 

"  Is  that  not  Rabbi  Nahon  and  the  stran 
ger  ?  "  observed  another  of  the  porters  in  a 
tone  of  wonder,  as  the  two  figures  emerged 
from  the  gate  of  the  fortress. 

"  The  Messenger  of  Zion  arrives  on  board 
that  vessel,"  was  the  explanation  given. 

The  venerable  Nahon  was  a  man  in  the 
seventies,  well  preserved,  prophetic  in  look, 
a  stately  presence  of  earnestness  and  dig 
nity.  His  rare  appearance  on  the  shore 
could  not  fail  to  attract  attention,  but  the 
crowd  kept  at  a  respectful  distance. 

"  That  is  our  steamer,"  said  the  sage  to 
the  stranger. 

"  If  I  do  not  fall  dead  before  that  vessel 
drops  anchor,  I  shall  praise  the  Lord  forever 
for  having  granted  me  this  length  of  days," 
returned  the  stranger  with  suppressed  emo 
tion.  "  I  am  trembling  from  head  to  foot." 

"  Control  your  feelings,  Senor,  we  are  not 
unobserved,"  said  the  Rabbi  appealingly. 

"  The  winds,  the  winds,  who  can  control 
the  winds !  "  exclaimed  the  stranger. 


28  IN   THE   PALE 

"  He  who  controls  the  ocean  and  all  the 
spheres,  controls  the  winds,  Senor.  The 
ship  will  not  be  in  for  a  full  hour,  and  you 
are  too  weak  to  stand  thus  waiting.  Why 
not  expect  their  coming  under  your  roof  or 
mine?"  asked  Nahon. 

"  What,  not  receive  my  child,  my  chil 
dren  ? "  cried  the  stranger,  tears  rolling 
down  his  wrinkled  cheeks. 

"  This  is  just  what  I  apprehended,  Senor 
Pekarow.  You  stood  well  the  pressure  of 
sorrow,  you  may  break  down  under  the  reac 
tion.  And  then  this  dampness,  which  the 
doctor  advised  you  to  avoid,"  remarked  the 
Rabbi. 

"  Thank  you,  Senor,  I  might  as  well 
leave  this  earth  as  take  my  eyes  from 
that  vessel.  Reuben  Pekarow  has  nerves  of 
iron,  sinews  of  steel,  and  a  heart  of  immortal 
fire,  or  he  would  have  been  dead  and  buried 
long  ere  this.  My  child  and  her  friends 
will  be  taken  to  my  home  by  both  of  us," 
was  the  firm  reply. 

"  The  Messenger  of  Zion  has  always  been 
my  guest,  Senor;  my  wife  and  daughter 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  29 

would  not  have  it  otherwise,"  protested 
Nahon  gently. 

"  Zemach  agreed  that  my  home  should  be 
his  hereafter.  The  young  man  is  the  crown 
of  human  nobility.  Give  my  gratitude  a 
chance.  You  owe  him  nothing,  Senor,  I 
owe  him  everything,"  asserted  Pekarow  in 
his  emphatic  way. 

"  We  are  all  indebted  to  him  for  the  hard 
ships  he  endures  in  the  interest  of  our 
brethren  in  the  Holy  Land.  Zemach  Ben 
David  is  a  type.  Nothing  adorns  the  blos 
som  of  youth  more  than  its  association  with 
the  mature  virtue  of  age.  Such  is  the  case 
in  him.  He  loves  my  humble  brethren, 
therefore  do  I  love  him.  As  to  your  right 
to  harbor  him  during  his  stay  in  Tangier, 
let  us  agree  to  let  him  have  his  will,"  pro 
posed  Nahon,  sure  that  the  attraction  was 
in  his  house.  "And  there  the  sun  is  out  to 
bid  our  guests  welcome,"  added  the  Rabbi 
cheerfully. 

"  Guests  to  you,  Senor,  but  the  essence  of 
hope  to  me,"  said  Reuben  pathetically. 

As  soon   as  the  vessel   threw  anchor,  a 


30  IN   THE   PALE 

small  fleet  of  boats  besieged  the  steamer, 
while  a  crowd  of  lusty  porters  rushed  into 
the  water  to  help  the  passengers  on  land. 
Pekarow's  eager  eye  soon  discerned  the 
objects  of  his  affection. 

"  My  daughter,  my  daughter,  there  she  is, 
there  they  are,"  cried  he,  in  a  delirium  of  joy. 
"  She  sees  me,  she  recognizes  me,  the  blessed 
child." 

"  Yes,  I  see  Zemach  Ben  David  and  two 
others,"  confirmed  Nahon,  not  unmoved  by 
the  agitation  of  his  friend. 

The  craft  held  in  readiness  by  two  men  to 
do  the  bidding  of  Reuben  Pekarow  shot 
forth  like  an  arrow  as  soon  as  he  had  pointed 
out  the  three  persons  to  be  landed.  The 
next  moment  a  tall  young  lady  under  a  veil, 
accompanied  by  two  stately  young  men,  one 
in  Oriental  garb,  was  lowered  into  the  boat. 
Nahon  seized  Pekarow  by  the  arm,  beseech 
ing  him  to  subdue  his  excitement,  for  the 
man  was  on  the  point  of  running  into  the 
water  to  meet  the  boat.  In  a  minute  the 
craft  touched  sand,  and  Reuben  Pekarow 
caught  up  his  daughter  with  a  yell  that  sent 


EZRA    AND    1IULDAH  31 

a  shiver  through  every  heart. — "My  child, 
my  daughter,  my  daughter !  "•  -The  girl 
threw  her  arms  around  the  neck  of  the  rav 
ing  parent,  responding  with  an  outburst  of 
tears,  too  contagious  to  be  resisted  by  men 
familiar  with  sorrow.  Nahon  extended  a 
hearty  welcome  to  the  Messenger  of  the 
Holy  Land,  who  introduced  his  companion, 
Ezra  Amitin.  Reuben  embraced  each  one 
in  turn,  his  tears  flowing.  The  dramatic 
scene  was  cut  short  by  Nahon,  who  hurried 
the  party  to  their  conveyance  within  the 
gate,  ready  to  take  them  to  Pekarow's  house. 

Reuben  Pekarow's  residence  was  a  fine 
building,  rented  and  furnished  for  the  accom 
modation  of  the  girl  and  her  companions. 
The  door  was  opened  by  an  elderly  woman, 
whose  exclamation  of  joy  was  followed  by 
kisses  and  weeping. 

"  Huldah,  darling  Huldah  !  A  little  older, 
sweetest  girl,  but  beautiful,  child,  as  beau 
tiful  as  when  I  nursed  you  years  and  years 
ago." 

In  the  afternoon  Rabbi  Nahon,  accom 
panied  by  several  of  the  local  worthies,  prg- 


32  IN   THE   PALE 

ceeded  to  the  house  of  the  stranger  to  honor 
Zemach  Ben  David,  and  welcome  the  others. 
With  awe  and  wonder  they  listened  to  what 
the  Messenger  of  Zion  told,  as  a  manifesta 
tion  of  Providential  rule  and  retribution.  So 
deeply  impressed  was  the  hoary  Rabbi  by 
the  events  related  to  him  by  the  Messenger, 
that  he  made  them  the  subject  of  an  homiletic 
discourse  on  the  following  Sabbath. 


II 

A   DOMESTIC   TRAGEDY 

Far  away  from  the  benignant  clime  of 
northwestern  Africa,  in  the  heart  of  the  land 
of  the  knout  and  of  Siberian  horrors,  lies 
Tchernigoff,  the  capital  of  the  province  of 
the  same  name.  The  macadamized  highway 
from  Moscow  to  Kieff  passes  through  the 
city,  and  the  Desna  flows  about  a  mile  away 
from  its  suburbs.  Tchernigoff  has  nothing 
to  distinguish  it  in  the  annals  of  the  Czar's 
vast  domains.  Poorly  built,  unpaved,  badly 
lighted,  unclean,  with  no  favors  to  thank 


EZRA    AND    HULUAII  33 

nature  for,  except  a  small  park,  and  no  com 
forts  to  mark  the  progress  of  the  century, 
the  unlovely  metropolis  is  inhabited  by  a 
drowsy  population  of  over  twenty  thousand 
souls.  One-third  are  Jews,  the  rest  are  of 
the  Greek  Catholic  Church.  There  are  two 
old  cathedrals,  a  number  of  churches  and 
chapels,  four  synagogues,  a  dilapidated  for 
tress,  and  a  large  insane  asylum.  Numerous 
ruins  in  and  around  the  city  remind  one  of 
the  Mongolian  invasion. 

TchernigofI  had  been  bitterly  fought  for 
by  Lithuania,  Poland,  and  the  Ukraine, 
before  the  Cossack  entrusted  it  to  the  pater 
nal  guardianship  of  the  Czar,  whose  icy  grip 
reduced  its  pulsations  to  a  tempo  ranging 
between  intermittent  fever  and  dreamless 
somnolence.  The  sluggish  drowsiness  of 
life's  monotonous  drudgery  continues  therein 
year  in,  year  out,  except  when  Muscovite 
strategy  puts  battalions  in  motion.  Then, 
being  an  administrative  centre,  TchernigofI 
teems  with  brilliant  uniforms,  and  rings 
with  martial  music  and  military  salutes. 

TchernigofI  was  Reuben  Pekarow's  native 
3 


32  IN   THE   PALE 

ceeded  to  the  house  of  the  stranger  to  honor 
Zemach  Ben  David,  and  welcome  the  others. 
With  awe  and  wonder  they  listened  to  what 
the  Messenger  of  Zion  told,  as  a  manifesta 
tion  of  Providential  rule  and  retribution.  So 
deeply  impressed  was  the  hoary  Rabbi  by 
the  events  related  to  him  by  the  Messenger, 
that  he  made  them  the  subject  of  an  homiletic 
discourse  on  the  following  Sabbath. 


II 

A   DOMESTIC   TRAGEDY 

Far  away  from  the  benignant  clime  of 
northwestern  Africa,  in  the  heart  of  the  land 
of  the  knout  and  of  Siberian  horrors,  lies 
Tchernigoff,  the  capital  of  the  province  of 
the  same  name.  The  macadamized  highway 
from  Moscow  to  Kieff  passes  through  the 
city,  and  the  Desna  flows  about  a  mile  away 
from  its  suburbs.  Tchernigoff  has  nothing 
to  distinguish  it  in  the  annals  of  the  Czar's 
vast  domains.  Poorly  built,  unpaved,  badly 
lighted,  unclean,  with  no  favors  to  thank 


EZRA    AND    HULDAII  33 

nature  for,  except  a  small  park,  and  no  com 
forts  to  mark  the  progress  of  the  century, 
the  unlovely  metropolis  is  inhabited  by  a 
drowsy  population  of  over  twenty  thousand 
souls.  One-third  are  Jews,  the  rest  are  of 
the  Greek  Catholic  Church.  There  are  two 
old  cathedrals,  a  number  of  churches  and 
chapels,  four  synagogues,  a  dilapidated  for 
tress,  and  a  large  insane  asylum.  Numerous 
ruins  in  and  around  the  city  remind  one  of 
the  Mongolian  invasion. 

Tchernigoff  had  been  bitterly  fought  for 
by  Lithuania,  Poland,  and  the  Ukraine, 
before  the  Cossack  entrusted  it  to  the  pater 
nal  guardianship  of  the  Czar,  whose  icy  grip 
reduced  its  pulsations  to  a  tempo  ranging 
between  intermittent  fever  and  dreamless 
somnolence.  The  sluggish  drowsiness  of 
life's  monotonous  drudgery  continues  therein 
year  in,  year  out,  except  when  Muscovite 
strategy  puts  battalions  in  motion.  Then, 
being  an  administrative  centre,  Tchernigoff 
teems  with  brilliant  uniforms,  and  rings 
with  martial  music  and  military  salutes. 

Tchernigoff  was  Reuben  Pekarow's  native 
3 


34  IN   THE   PALE 

place.  His  father,  a  watchmaker,  having 
formed  a  lofty  idea  of  medicine  and  juris 
prudence,  cherished  the  ambition  of  seeing 
his  son  among  professional  men.  His  motive 
was  not  love  for  the  sciences.  The  watch 
maker  was  heard  to  express  his  conviction 
that  "lawyers  and  doctors  need  no  capital, 
are  highly  honored,  do  little,  and  coin 
money."  Of  ^Esculapius  old  Pekarow  knew 
nothing,  but  he  remembered  well  the  big  bill 
he  had  had  to  pay  the  doctor  after  his  wife's 
death.  That  inclined  his  mind  in  favor  of 
medicine.  But  had  not  Moses  been  the 
greatest  lawyer  on  earth?  And  had  not 
God  Himself  presented  the  son  of  Amram 
with  the  chips  from  the  tables  of  the  testi 
mony,  the  most  precious  jewels  in  the  uni 
verse  ?  Moreover,  to  dissect  bodies  was 
hardly  a  fit  office  for  an  Aaronite,  and  Peka 
row  traced  his  lineage  to  the  first  High 
Priest.  These  considerations  led  Pekarow 
to  the  final  conclusion  that  his  Reuben  was 
destined  to  practise  law. 

Reuben  justified  the  most  sanguine  anti 
cipations  of   his   father.     The  boy   showed 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  35 

great  thirst  for  knowledge,  and  was  a  favor 
ite  with  his  teachers.  But  he  early  betrayed 
a  tendency  towards  skepticism  and  a  strong 
inclination  to  stay  away  from  the  synagogue. 
At  the  age  of  thirteen,  however,  Reuben, 
according  to  time-honored  custom,  was  called 
up  to  the  Law  on  a  Sabbath  in  the  presence 
of  the  congregation,  and,  after  pronouncing 
the  benediction,  was  declared  a  member  of 
the  community  of  Israel.  The  ceremony 
made  no  impression  on  the  boy.  He  had  by 
this  time  been  promoted  to  the  higher  grade 
in  the  gymnasium.  He  spent  his  days  with 
non-Jewish  comrades,  and,  though  resenting 
the  gibes  freely  lavished  on  his  race,  felt  his 
Jewish  descent  to  be  a  burden  and  a  barrier. 
At  the  same  time  his  talents  met  with  due 
recognition,  and  his  graduation  at  the  high- 
school  opened  the  door  of  the  university  in 
Kieff  for  him.  After  three  years  of  close 
study  he  left  that  institution  with  high 
honors,  and  was  then  admitted  to  the  bar. 
Pekarow  was  not  a  rich  man,  but  he  econo 
mized  for  the  benefit  of  his  only  son,  so  that 
when  he  died,  shortly  after  Reuben's  return 


38  IN   THE    PALE 

mother.  In  his  profession  Reuben  stood  head 
and  shoulders  above  his  competitors,  and  his 
legal  advice  was  sought  by  clients  from  out 
side  of  the  city.  Yablow's  hatred  of  the 
Hebrew  jurist  appeared  to  have  died,  for 
years  passed,  and  nothing  occurred  to  warn 
Reuben  that  an  act  of  hostility  was  contem 
plated  by  his  enemy.  Yablow  was  rarely 
seen  at  court,  and  was  often  out  of  town  for 
months.  The  Hebrew,  on  the  other  hand, 
pursued  his  vocation  with  marked  success, 
spending  every  spare  hour  with  his  wife  and 
child.  The  boy  "flourished,  reached  the  age 
of  four,  a  flower  of  beauty  and  intelligence, 
and  there  was  no  happier  couple  in  the  world 
than  Reuben  Pekarow  and  his  wife,  whose 
charms  were  idolized  with  such  religious 
ardor  as  transformed  the  home  of  the  skeptic 
into  a  temple  and  his  table  into  an  altar. 
Reuben  learnt  to  respect  prayer,  and  this 
was  much. 

One  day  Nachom,  the  child  of  the  house, 
did  not  return  from  his  daily  walk  with  his 
Christian  nurse,  who  had  had  charge  of 
him  since  his  tender  infancy.  It  was  night- 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  39 

fall;  it  became  night;  the  darkness  of  omin 
ous  apprehension  settled  on  the  alarmed 
parents ;  the  child  and  the  nurse  were  gone. 
The  evening  advanced,  the  police  were  noti 
fied,  the  night  passed,  the  sun  rose  on  a 
home  of  desolation  and  despair.  Nurse  and 
child  had  disappeared.  Rewards  were 
offered,  city  and  suburbs  were  searched ;  in 
vain,  not  a  trace  was  found,  as  though  the 
earth  had  swallowed  woman  and  child.  Day 
followed  day,  the  parents  lived  in  an  agony 
of  suspense.  Weeks  ran  into  months ;  the 
autumn  was  followed  by  winter,  the  spring 
tide  was  near,  but  no  clue  was  found  to  ac 
count  for  the  disappearance  of  the  woman 
and  her  charge.  What  had  become  of  them  ? 
This  was  a  question  nobody  could  answer. 
In  his  heart  Reuben  felt  that  Yablow  had 
had  something  to  do  with  his  great  loss,  but 
he  dared  not  give  utterance  to  his  suspicion, 
and  his  anguish  had  to  be  suppressed  in 
face  of  the  delicate  state  of  the  health  of  his 
wife,  who  was  yearning  for  her  first-born  son. 
Passover  arrived,  bringing  new  joy  to  the 
house  of  Pekarow.  Had  little  Nachom  been 


40  IN   THE   PALE 

found  ?  No  !  But  a  new  life,  a  daughter, 
came,  a  cherub  to  soothe  the  aching  hearts 
of  the  disconsolate  family.  It  was  a  great 
joy  tempered  by  great  sorrow. 

At  this  time  a  rumor  spread  in  the  city  that, 
when  the  tide  had  cleared  the  Desna  of  ice, 
a  woman  had  been  found  entangled  in  the 
wood-work  of  the  long  bridge  that  spans  the 
river  about  two  miles  from  Tchernigoff,  in 
the  direction  of  KiefT.  Reuben  was  one  of 
the  first  to  hurry  to  the  scene.  The  drowned 
woman  was  identified  as  poor  Barbara,  the 
nurse  who  had  disappeared  with  little 
Nachom.  Who  had  drowned  the  Christian 
woman  ?  Who  but  the  Jews  ?  Do  they  not 
use  Christian  blood  to  prepare  their  un 
leavened  cakes  ?  This  cry  was  raised  by 
Yablow,  and  echoed  by  a  priest,  who  took 
up  the  matter  before  the  police  had  had 
time  to  look  into  it.  An  infuriated  mob  des 
cended  on  the  house  of  Reuben,  howling, 
and  raving,  and  clamoring :  "  The  Jews 
have  killed  her — they  have  drunk  her  blood 
— tear  down  the  house  of  the  Jew — kill  the 
Jew!" 


EZRA    AND    IIULDAH  4! 

A  shower  of  stones  shattered  every 
window.  Reuben  happened  to  be  out,  un 
aware  of  the  peril  that  hovered  over  his 
wife  and  babe.  Friends  came  in  time  to  save 
the  infant,  which  was  found  alive  in  the 
arms  of  its  dead  mother.  A  stone  had  struck 
the  head  of  Reuben's  wife,  who  had  shielded 
the  child  with  her  body.  Reuben  Pekarow 
appeared  on  the  scene  to  receive  his  share 
of  the  mob's  fury.  The  police  rescued  him 
broken  and  bleeding,  all  but  dead.  Many 
other  Jewish  houses  were  wrecked  and 
despoiled. 

For  months  Reuben  was  thought  to  be 
beyond  recovery.  When,  after  long  suffering, 
it  was  possible  for  him  to  leave  his  bed,  he 
stood  there  a  wreck  of  his  former  self,  a 
caricature  in  body,  a  cynic  in  mind,  a  misan 
thrope  in  heart.  Was  not  humanity  a  pro 
digious  herd  of  wild  beasts?  That  carniv 
orous  biped,  man,  how  he  hated  him  !  And 
what  had  he  to  live  for?  His  wife's  grave, 
alas,  his  wife's  grave  !  Ay,  and  the  baby. 
Between  the  graveyard  and  the  cradle  that 
held  his  motherless  infant  Reuben's  time  and 


42  IN   THE   PALE 

heart  were  divided.  He  neither  wept  nor 
smiled.  The  tears  seemed  to  have  con 
gealed  in  his  eyes,  hanging1  therein  unshed. 
Not  until  angelic  Huldah  blessed  him  with 
her  first  smile  did  his  agony  find  articulate 
speech.  Yes,  the  babe  was  alive.  She 
needed  his  care.  Love  asserted  its  sway, 
and  life  claimed  its  own. 

Time,  the  healer  of  wounds,  the  soother 
of  pains,  restored  Reuben  to  a  degree  of 
self-composure,  though  never  to  happiness, 
his  memories  being  too  dark  to  be  bright 
ened  or  effaced.  Yet  Huldah's  inexpressible 
loveliness,  her  tremulous  voice  heard  in  the 
articulation  of  prayer,  the  mystic  glow  in 
her  eyes,  which  harbored  a  heaven  of  sweet 
ness  for  him  whom  she  was  destined  to  love, 
poured  healing  into  Reuben's  heart.  What 
ever  charm  art  and  culture  could  add  to  her 
native  beauty,  the  prodigal  father  secured 
for  his  child,  regardless  of  cost.  Hers  was 
the  house,  and  she  the  inspiring  soul  there 
of.  Her  laugh,  her  song,  her  touch  of  the 
piano's  keyboard,  her  kiss,  made  summer  in 
the  breast  of  an  idolizing  parent.  Her  pro- 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  43 

fessors  of  music  and  foreign  languages 
assured  Reuben  that  there  was  enough  of 
the  princess  in  his  daughter  to  grace  a  royal 
palace,  as  though  he  had  had  any  doubt 
of  it. 

When  the  girl  completed  her  sixteenth 
year,  she  stood  in  the  exuberance  of  femin 
ine  grace,  every  inch  a  Hebe.  Perfectly 
unaffected,  unconscious  of  her  bewitching 
loveliness,  she  looked  into  the  beholder's  eye 
with  a  dreamy  ga^e  as  mysterious  as  the 
azure,  as  deep  and  as  calm.  Her  look 
distracted  her  admirers,  who  nicknamed  her 
"  the  angelic  Lilith."  Her  speech  was  a 
succession  of  sweet  notes.  Whoever  heard 
her  sing  stood  as  if  petrified  by  her  voice, 
flowing,  swelling,  and  melting,  seizing  heart 
and  soul,  sounding  the  unfathomed  deeps  of 
human  woe,  a  power  superhuman,  sweeter 
than  the  song  of  nightingale  and  holier  than 
prayer.  Gentle  as  she  appeared,  her  external 
appearance  gave  no  idea  of  her  intensity 
of  temperament,  her  dynamic  energy  slum 
bering  like  a  dormant  volcano.  Of  stately 
build,  tastefully  dressed,  of  a  complexion 


44  IN   THE   PALE 

such  as  painters  are  wont  to  give  to  the 
graces,  Huldah  impressed  romantic  minds 
as  the  fairy  of  an  enchanted  castle.  She 
had  inherited  the  reverence  and  piety  of  a 
noble  mother,  and  she  combined  in  her 
nature  the  two  rare  extremes  of  masculine 
fearlessness  and  feminine  delicacy. 

Before  Huldah  had  reached  her  nineteenth 
year,  she  was  forced  to  make  a  determined 
stand  against  the  intrusive  Shadchan,  whom 
she  treated  with  scorn.  JJ^or  did  overtures, 
made  by  families  of  standing  anxious  to 
capture  the  maiden's  heart  for  a  cherished 
youth,  meet  with  more  encouragement.  The 
girl  had  a  mind  of  her  own,  and  her 
will  was  the  Supreme  Court  in  Reuben's 
household.  The  only  reason  for  wishing 
to  see  his  daughter  married  were  the  pester 
ing  attentions  paid  her  by  certain  distin 
guished  officers  of  the  army,  who  had  the 
impudence  to  bow  to  her  whenever  they 
chanced  to  meet  her  in  the  street.  One  of 
these  was  General  Greboff,  whose  residence 
faced  that  of  Reuben.  There  was  nothing 
to  be  done  but  to  treat  the  intruders  with 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  45 

contempt,  and  this  nobody  understood  bet 
ter  than  Huldah,  who  knew  how  to  avoid 
unpleasant  meetings,  and  not  to  notice  those 
she  could  not  avoid.  Her  father  felt  uneasy, 
however,  and  at  her  request  he  furnished 
her  with  a  pocket  revolver. 

A  noteworthy  incident  in  the  life  of  the 
Jews  in  Tchernigoff  at  the  date  we  are 
speaking  of  was  the  arrival  of  a  famous 
young  Chazan,  who  was  destined  to  play  an 
important  part  in  the  domestic  concerns  of 
Reuben  Pekarow.  Ezra  Amitin  had  barely 
passed  his  twenty-third  year  when  fame  de 
clared  him  the  greatest  man  of  his  calling 
in  Russian  Jewry.  The  singing  and  chant 
ing  in  the  synagogue  he  raised  to  the  dignity 
of  art,  and  he  performed  his  sacred  functions 
with  a  power  of  soul  thitherto  unknown.  His 
influence  over  those  whom  he  led  in  worship 
could  not  be  excelled  by  magic.  As  a  rule 
the  Russian  Chazan  has  a  chorus  to  accom 
pany  him.  Amitin  was  himself  a  chorus,  yea, 
an  orchestra,  all  centred  in  a  throat  that  gave 
forth  every  note  of  the  gamut  to  perfection. 
Simple-minded  people  maintained  that  Ezra 


46  IN   THE   PALE 

Amitin's  larynx  was  lined  with  golden 
chords.  He  put  a  new  meaning  into  every 
Hebrew  syllable.  With  him  recitation 
meant  pouring  out  the  spirit  of  the  Hebraic 
poet  or  prophet  on  the  enchanted  audience. 
Whether  he  read  or  sang,  it  was  felt  that  he 
told  the  great  tale  of  Israel's  triumph  and 
martyrdom.  The  congregation  followed  him 
in  tears  or  in  ecstasy,  according  to  the  pur 
port  of  the  recital.  Youth,  good  humor,  a 
certain  degree  of  culture  and  refinement, 
personal  magnetism,  and  fertility  of  imagi 
nation,  which  insured  for  him  the  reputation 
of  a  consummate  story-teller,  combined  to 
make  the  youthful  Chazan  a  welcome  guest 
in  every  distinguished  family,  so  that  even 
Reuben  Pekarow  was  attracted  by  his  per 
sonality. 

Amitin's  first  performance  in  the  most 
aristocratic  synagogue  of  Tchernigoff  struck 
the  congregation  with  astonishment.  No 
mocking-bird  could  have  imitated  every 
variety  of  note  produced  by  nature  or  art 
with  greater  accuracy  than  the  wonderful 
Chazan.  It  was  noticed  that  he  possessed 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  47 

the  ventriloquist's  faculty  of  singing  with 
lips  closed,  a  feat  the  immortal  Weintraub 
could  not  have  performed.  Furthermore, 
Weintraub,  of  blessed  memory,  used  to  swim 
in  perspiration  while  officiating,  and  had  to 
change  his  clothing  after  the  service,  every 
article  of  his  wear  being  as  greasy  as  though 
it  had  been  stewed  in  a  saucepan.  Amitin, 
on  the  contrary,  caused  others  to  perspire, 
keeping  himself  as  cool  and  dry  as  a  windy 
autumn  day.  Something  within  him  did  the 
work,  and  that  something  was  the  puzzle  of 
the  wisest  heads.  It  was  the  next  thing  to 
a  miracle,  and  the  youth  was  the  cynosure 
of  the  community. 

As  Amitin  happened  to  arrive  in  the  city 
shortly  before  the  great  Holy  Days,  he  was 
offered  inducements  to  stay  and  officiate 
on  the  New  Year  and  the  Day  of  Atone 
ment.  Reuben  was  strongly  impressed  by 
the  endowments  of  the  youth,  and,  being  a 
power  in  the  synagogue,  he  craved  the  honor 
of  harboring  the  Chazan  under  his  roof.  His 
secret  motive  was  Huldah's  pleasure,  for 
she  was  both  religious  and  musical. 


48  IN   THE   PALE 

In  earlier  years  Reuben  had  adorned  him 
self  with  the  colorless  feathers  of  morbid 
skepticism.  Misfortune  had  opened  his  eyes 
to  the  vanity  of  things  transitory.  He  had 
moments  of  serious  meditation,  while  Hul- 
dah's  ardor  in  matters  sacred  was  contagious 
enough  to  turn  a  heathen  into  an  observing 
Jew. 

Therefore,  a  formal  invitation  was  ex 
tended  to  the  Chazan  to  take  up  his  quarters 
in  Reuben  Pekarow's  commodious  home, 
and  the  proffered  hospitality  met  with  due 
appreciation.  The  fact  is  that  somebody 
had  whispered  into  Amitin's  ear  that  he 
was  going  to  be  near  a  peerless  maiden,  but 
she  was  described  as  very  haughty  and 
inaccessible,  all  of  which  tended  to  raise  his 
curiosity. 

Reuben  bade  a  cordial  welcome  to  his 
guest,  installed  him  in  one  of  the  best  rooms 
of  his  house,  and  urged  him  to  make  him 
self  perfectly  at  home.  From  his  windows 
Amitin  could  look  out  upon  the  trees  and 
the  green  of  a  spacious  yard  guarded  by  high 
walls,  and  adorned  by  a  few  irregular  beds  of 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  49 

flowers,  somewhat  withered  by  the  cool 
nights  of  approaching  autumn.  To  one  of 
the  branches  a  parrot  was  chained.  The 
bird  shook  its  head  drowsily,  when  aroused 
by  a  whistle  from  a  lower  window,  followed 
by  a  laugh,  which  electrified  the  CJiazan. 
"Sing:  do,  re,  mi,  fa,  sol,  la,  si,  do!"  To 
this  call  of  the  sweetest  feminine  voice  the 
bird  responded  instantly,  repeating  the  notes 
parrot-like  to  the  great  delight  of  the 
prompter.  The  laugh  and  the  voice  vibrated 
in  Amitin's  ear.  He  looked  at  his  watch  to 
see  if  the  hour  fixed  for  his  first  meal 
in  Reuben's  house  had  come;  it  was  time 
for  him  to  go  down,  and  the  next  moment 
he  found  himself  before  the  ideal  of  his 
dreams. 

Amitin's  first  meeting  with  Huldah  meant 
to  him  either  nameless  felicity  or  self- 
destruction.  It  was  the  old  story  of  Adam 
and  Eve,  with  no  Milton  to  immortalize  the 
divine  madness  without  which  Eden  is  a 
desert.  The  Chazaris  peace  of  soul  was  gone. 
If,  up  to  this  time,  he  had  swayed  the  heart 
of  everyone  within  reach  of  his  voice,  love 

4 


50  IN   THE   PALE 

infused  into  his  breast  tenderness  so  elo 
quent  and  appealing  that  it  proved  as  resist 
less  as  the  song  of  the  Sirens.  His  worship 
of  God  was  intensified  by  his  worship  of 
Huldah.  It  was  a  fusion  of  fiery  love  with 
ardent  devotion. 

On  New  Year  and  on  the  Day  of  Atone 
ment  the  Jewish  liturgy  recites  the  world's 
grandest  epic,  enacted  by  Israel  during  a 
career  of  four  thousand  years.  The  service 
is  priestly,  poetic,  and  prophetic,  and  its 
transcendental  elements  overtop  all  philo 
sophy.  Divine  grandeur  is  contrasted  with 
human  insignificance ;  the  immutable  is  held 
up  in  the  face  of  earthly  change  and  mortal 
ity.  Providence  is  traced  in  the  world's 
annals.  The  Jew's  mission  is  emphasized. 
Mankind  is  prayed  for.  Great  historic 
events,  happy  and  sad,  are  rehearsed  with 
joy,  or  referred  to  with  pious  resignation. 
What  an  opportunity  for  a  melodious  voice 
to  touch  every  chord  on  the  responsive 
harp  of  the  Jewish  heart !  Yea,  centuries 
of  agony  and  anguish,  of  tears  and  triumph, 
are  treasured  in  the  traditional  songs  un- 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  51 

known  beyond  the  walls  of  the  hoary  Syna 
gogue. 

Amitin's  interpretation  of  text  and  melody 
showed  him  to  be  a  master  in  the  Cliazaris 
calling.  The  portion  of  the  service  wherein 
the  giving  of  the  Law  is  reviewed  on  New 
Year,  he  rendered  with  dramatic  vividness, 
so  intense  that  the  worshippers  thought 
that  they  saw  Horeb  in  flames  and  all  the 
incidents  of  the  Sinaitic  revelation.  Similar 
was  the  impression  he  produced  by  reciting 
the  Temple  Service  on  the  Day  of  Atone 
ment.  No  wonder  that  the  people  raved 
over  the  youthful  Chazan.  Only  a  few 
enjoyed  the  privilege  of  meeting  him  at 
Reuben's  house.  The  hospitable  jurist 
thought  it  his  duty  to  entertain  his  guest, 
but  he  himself  and  his  friends  were  enter 
tained  instead.  The  great  feature  of  the 
social  gathering  were  the  thrilling  duets 
sung  by  the  Chazan  and  the  daughter  of  the 
house,  varied  by  talk  about  the  newest  local 
sensation,  the  recent  return  of  Dinka  Edel- 
berg  and  her  son  from  Moscow  and  her 
remarkable  adventure.  The  heroine  was 


52  IN   THE   PALE 

present,  and  her  presence  was  of  dimensions 
not  to  be  overlooked. 

Dinka  Edelberg  was  a  widow  in  the 
fifties,  a  woman  of  great  courage  and  self- 
sacrifice,  and  of  a  circumference  which  made 
it  hard  for  another  person  to  pass  by  her 
side  through  an  ordinary  door.  She  believed 
in  miracles,  and  protected  herself  against 
evil  spirits  by  a  number  of  amulets,  which 
she  knew  how  to  associate  with  a  stirring 
story,  bearing  on  what  she  considered 
the  '  triumph  of  her  life.  Pointing  to 
the  tooth  of  a  wolf  set  in  silver,  and  used 
as  a  breast-pin,  she  caused  the  blood  of 
the  company  to  run  cold  through  their  veins 
by  telling  them  how  she  had  come  into  pos 
session  of  the  lupine  ornament. 

It  should  be  stated  that  Dinka  Edelberg 
was  entitled  to  special  consideration  mainly 
on  account  of  her  truly  heroic  effort  to 
rescue  her  idiotic  son  from  his  sad  lot  in  the 
army,  into  which,  under  the  iron  rule  of 
Nicholas  the  Cruel,  he  had  been  drafted  at 
the  age  of  fourteen.  The  boy's  idiocy  made 
his  military  master  despair  of  ever  teaching 


EZRA    AND   HULDAH  53 

him  how  to  tell  his  right  arm  from  his  left. 
In  vain  poor  Isaac  received  his  full  share 
of  the  birch  rod.  The  creature  was  a 
perfect  simpleton,  and  finally  became  an 
object  of  pity  even  to  his  hard-hearted 
batchuska.  That  made  it  possible  for  Dinka 
to  attempt  her  child's  liberation,  but  it  could 
not  be  effected  without  a  vast  deal  of  peti 
tioning,  praying,  hoping,  and  waiting,  not  to 
mention  the  bribes  handed  in  the  shape  of 
presents  to  those  in  authority.  "  Yes,"  she 
said  to  one  of  the  gathering,  as  she  glanced 
at  her  cheap  little  silver  watch,  u  the  one 
set  with  diamonds,  which  my  poor  husband 
bought  for  me  shortly  before  he  died,  I 
begged  Colonel  Tukatchoff  to  accept  as  a 
remembrance,  you  know,  or  I  should  never 
have  seen  my  Isaac  in  our  synagogue." 

Jacob  Edelberg,  Dinka's  late  husband, 
was  remembered  as  a  wealthy  dealer  in 
grain  and  an  enthusiastic  Kabbalist.  With 
his  last  breath  he  promised  his  wife  to  be 
with  her  in  spirit,  whenever  she  invoked  his 
help.  Dinka  was  successful  in  all  her  under 
takings,  and  she  ascribed  her  success  to  the 


54  IN   THE   PALE 

constant  guardianship  of  her  lamented  hus 
band,  in  accordance  with  the  notions  current 
in  Slavonic  Israel  and  far  beyond  its  bounds. 
The  woman  was  sure  that  her  departed  con 
sort  was  with  her,  and  on  this  occasion  she 
justified  her  conviction  by  telling  a  thrilling 
experience  she  had  had  on  her  way  from 
Moscow  to  Tchernigoff. 

"  Speak  of  wonders ! "  she  began.  "  We  left 
Moscow  as  soon  as  my  child  was  delivered 
to  me,  that  was  two  days  after  my  interview 
with  the  Governor,  who  shook  my  hand,  and 
said:  *  Dinka,  you  are  a  brave  woman.' 
I  trembled  from  head  to  foot,  my  heart  pal 
pitated,  and  I  was  not  at  all  sorry  when  the 
police  ordered  me  to  leave  the  city  before 
sunset,  no  Jewess  being  allowed  to  stay 
there  longer  than  her  permit  specifies. 

"  It  was  a  December  evening,  bitter  cold, 
and  a  snow-storm  set  in  as  the  open  sleigh 
which  I  had  hired  passed  through  the  sub 
urbs  of  Moscow.  The  driver,  a  powerful 
Russian,  had  a  double-barrelled  gun  with 
him.  He  loaded  it  carefully,  and  filled  a 
small  leather  bag  with  shot.  I  did  not  like 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  55 

to  have  the  gun  near  me  in  the  sleigh,  but 
he  reassured  me,  adding  that  we  might  be 
glad  to  have  the  weapon  with  us.  Two 
spirited  horses  had  carried  us  easily  along 
the  highway  for  about  twenty  versts  beyond 
the  city,  when  I  noticed  a  number  of  lights, 
as  of  a  hundred  lanterns,  flitting  about  in 
the  darkness  of  a  snowy  night.  The  horses 
pricked  up  their  ears  and  shuddered.  I  did 
not  realize  our  danger  until  I  heard  the 
driver  invoke  the  assistance  of  his  saints, 
and  saw  him  repeatedly  make  the  sign  of 
the  cross.  '  At  least  fifty  of  the  savage 
beasts,'  murmured  he,  drawing  forth  his  gun, 
and  preparing  to  fire. 

"  *  Fifty  wolves  ! '  exclaimed  I  in  terror. 

"  '  Fully  fifty.  I  can  kill  off  a  score  of  them. 
If  their  flesh  gluts  the  others,  we  shall  reach 
the  next  hostelry  alive  ;  if  not,  the  Lord  be 
gracious  unto  us.  Here,  hold  the  reins,  the 
horses  will  not  bolt,'  said  the  Russian 
quietly. 

"  Bang,  bang !  There  were  too  many  of  the 
hungry  brutes  for  one  shot  to  miss  them. 
One  fell  after  the  other,  but  the  pack  seemed 


56  IN   THE   PALE 

to  grow  rather  than  to  dwindle,  and  the  car 
casses  were  devoured  by  them  in  less  time 
than  it  takes  to  tell.  The  man  loaded  again 
and  again,  no  discharge  ever  missing  its  aim. 
The  horses  kept  close  to  each  other,  snort 
ing  and  tearing  away  at  break-neck  speed. 
The  fiery  eyes  grew  less  and  less.  Suddenly, 
as  we  approached  a  bridge  which  we  had  to 
cross,  we  lighted  on  another  pack  of  wolves, 
fully  as  numerous  as  the  one  which  we 
hoped  to  have  escaped,  but  which  came  up 
with  us  the  next  moment. 

"  '  We  are  lost;  my  bag  is  empty  ! '  cried 
the  Russian,  seizing  the  reins  and  giving  the 
horses  free  play.  We  swept  over  the  bridge 
like  the  wind,  the  beasts  close  at  our  heels. 
I  threw  my  arms  around  my  terrified  child, 
and  fervidly  invoked  the  spirit  of  my  hus 
band  to  help  us  in  our  distress.  Our  situa 
tion  was  desperate.  The  wolves  outran  the 
horses,  trying  to  cut  us  off,  and  there  was 
no  refuge  in  sight.  The  good  horses  tore 
away  like  a  storm,  but  the  end  appeared  to 
be  near,  when  I  heard  the  Russian  exclaim : 
'  Jesus  and  Mary ! '  A  glance  to  our  right 


EZRA    AND   HULDAH  57 

revealed  an  apparition  that  filled  me  with 
amazement.  Beside  our  sleigh,  mounted 
on  a  magnificent  black  steed,  noiselessly 
galloped  a  majestic  figure,  brandishing 
a  flashing  blade  of  steel,  which  sent  forth 
a  shower  of  sparks  like  a  rocket.  Horse 
and  rider  skimmed  over  the  soft  snow,  leav 
ing  no  trace  of  a  hoof  on  the  surface. 
In  a  moment  the  wolves  fell  back  and 
vanished.  The  glimmer  of  a  bright  window 
and  the  barking  of  a  dog  assured  us  of  the 
shelter  we  had  prayed  for.  Our  ghostly 
escort  slackened  pace,  allowing  the  horses 
to  gain  on  it.  On  turning  my  head  back 
ward,  I  found  that  it  was  gone. 

"'St.  Elia  has  saved  our  lives,  Jewess/ 
said  the  driver,  as  we  entered  the  friendly 
inn.  Grateful  tears  filled  my  eyes.  I  said 
nothing  in  reply,  but  I  knew  that  my  poor 
husband  had  been  with  us.  He  has  never 
failed  me  when  I  have  invoked  him — never 
in  danger,  as,  for  instance,  in  the  second 
miracle  of  my  life,"  closed  the  woman 
insinuatingly. 

Had  Dinka's  assertions  in  this  narrative 


58  IN   THE   PALE 

been  questioned,  the  company  would  have 
been  doomed  to  listen  to  a  phantasmagoric 
sketch  of  what  she  termed  the  "  second 
miracle"  of  her  life,  her  recent  escape  from 
the  horns  of  a  vicious  animal.  Dinka  de 
rived  her  sustenance  from  a  dairy.  In  the 
pinched  state  of  Russo-Judean  life  in  the 
smaller  places,  a  cow  is  a  source  of  plenty 
and  of  some  revenue.  In  those  regions 
meat  is  not  tasted  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath, 
and  milk,  cheese,  and  butter  are,  next  to  rye- 
bread,  the  staple  articles  of  food.  But  not 
everyone  enjoys  the  blessing  of  having  even 
a  goat,  the  next  good  thing  to  a  cow,  so  that 
small  dairies  insure  a  sufficient  income  to 
account  for  their  frequency.  The  trouble  in 
their  case  is  the  Shabbes-Goye,  or  non-Jewish 
assistant,  called  in  to  milk  the  animals  on 
the  Sabbath.  As  a  rule,  the  Shabbes-Goye 
needs  watching,  not  alone  because  she 
has  a  kosher  article  in  trust,  without  being 
trusted,  but  more  on  account  of  the  alarm 
ing  tendency  of  valuable  trinkets  to  dis 
appear  the  moment  she  passes  through  a 
room.  Nor  has  it  been  found  expedient  to 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  59 

charge  her  with  larceny,  and  take  her  before 
the  ispravnik,  or  chief  of  police.  This  would 
not  pay  at  all. 

Now,  Dinka  had  a  number  of  trinkets  in 
her  house,  and  she  needed  the  services  of  the 
Shabbes-Goye.  Dinka  did  like  her  neighbors  ; 
she  had  an  eye  on  the  Goye,  following 
her  like  her  shadow.  Unfortunately  cows 
are  not  the  most  reasonable  of  creatures,  as 
the  pious  woman  learned  to  her  chagrin. 
For,  as  she  entered  her  stable  on  a  Sabbath, 
close  upon  her  Goyes  heels,  she  incurred  the 
displeasure  of  her  finest  cow,  an  animal  of 
the  Ukraine,  and  the  brute  lost  no  time 
in  manifesting  distaste  for  Dinka's  gaudy 
attire  in  her  own  way.  What  the  woman 
dimly  remembered  was  a  shock,  flight 
through  the  air,  and  descent  on  a  stack  of 
hay.  The  hay  was  soft,  so  was  Dinka,  who 
came  off  with  nothing  worse  than  a  great 
fright  and  the  loss  of  half  of  her  dress.  One- 
half  of  her  Sabbath  garment  remained  in 
the  undisputed  possession  of  the  animal, 
which  seemed  to  be  conscious  of  her 
trophy.  The  Goye  was  in  a  hurry  to  seek 


60  IN   THE   PALE 

shelter  where  all  heroic  bull-fighters  find 
safety,  that  is,  behind  a  wall.  Thereafter 
Dinka,  having  recovered  from  her  shock, 
affirmed  that  she  had  seen  the  shadowy 
figure  of  her  late  husband  interpose  itself 
between  her  and  the  infuriated  brute,  and 
she  embellished  her  account  so  extrava 
gantly  that  even  her  most  credulous  friends 
hesitated  to  accept  her  statement  without 
due  allowance  for  an  overheated  fancy. 

Whether  to  escape  a  rehash  of  her  "  sec 
ond  miracle  "  or  to  introduce  an  experience 
of  his  own,  Reuben  remarked  that  it  was 
fortunate  that  there  had  been  no  werewolves 
in  the  packs  they  had  escaped.  The  woman 
opened  her  eyes  wide,  astonished  that  she 
had  never  thought  of  the  likelihood.  "  Who 
knows  that  there  was  none  ?  "  asked  Dinka 
in  a  voice  of  challenge. 

"  If  there  had  been  any,  you  would  not  be 
here  to  tell  the  story,"  replied  Reuben. 

"For  my  part,  I  doubt  whether  there  is 
such  a  thing  as  a  werewolf  to  be  seen  any 
where  ;  it  is  the  creation  of  the  superstitious 
mujik"  maintained  the  Cliazan. 


EZRA    AND   HULDAH  6l 

"That  is  just  my  idea  of  it ;  there  are  no 
werewolves,"  agreed  Huldah. 

"  No  werewolf  ?  Did  not  a  wovkalack  tear 
up  some  children  in  Strelitzev  a  few  weeks 
ago  ?  The  villagers  saw  the  monster  jump 
out  of  the  window,  all  shaggy,  with  the 
head  of  a  wolf,"  advanced  Dinka. 

"  O,  the  villagers  will  tell  you  a  hundred 
other  things  which  are  neither  here  nor 
there.  My  mother  has  been  repeatedly 
warned  not  to  allow  a  cat  to  enter  our 
stable  at  night,  because  a  cat  is  supposed  to 
be  a  sorceress  in  disguise,  who  transfers  the 
milk  and  fecundity  of  one  animal  to  another. 
The  mujiks  believe  it,  but  *  there  is  no  witch 
craft  in  Jacob,' "  closed  the  Chazan  with 
Balaam's  phrase. 

"  Of  course,  I  have  never  seen  a  wovkalack 
myself,  but  they  are  so  much  spoken  of  that 
one  cannot  help  believing  that  there  are 
such  beasts  somewhere,"  explained  the 
woman. 

"No,  Dinka,  they  are  nowhere,  I  am 
afraid,  or  my  father  would  know  something 
about  it,"  remarked  Huldah,  with  her 


62  IN   THE    PALE 

sweetest  smile,  her  eyes  meeting  those  of 
Reuben. 

"  How  in  the  world  can  a  man  be  turned 
into  a  wolf?"  Ezra  was  curious  to  know. 

"They  say  that  a  sorcerer  does  it  by 
frightening  a  man  at  night  and  slipping  a 
wolf's  hide  over  his  body.  The  bewitched 
mujik  becomes  mad  for  the  woods,  crawls  on 
all  fours,  seeks  the  forest,  joins  a  she -wolf, 
and  rears  a  family.  Sometimes  he  enters  a 
village,  steals  a  baby,  and  raises  it  with  his 
cubs.  Well,  you  need  not  smile  ;  I  am  only 
repeating  what  many  Jews  and  Christians 
believe,"  added  Dinka  protestingly. 

"  But  it  was  your  father,  Huldah,  who 
introduced  the  werewolf  to  us  this  evening," 
remarked  one  of  the  company.  "  Let  Mr. 
Pekarow  tell  us  his  view  of  the  matter." 

Reuben's  face  became  the  target  of 
every  eye  in  the  room.  The  man  seemed 
strangely  affected  by  the  appeal  to  enlarge 
on  the  topic  he  had  initiated. 

"  Yes,  tell  us  what  you  think  of  the 
wovkalack ;  you  are  learned,"  urged  Dinka. 

"If  there  are  werewolves  ?"  began  Reuben 


EZRA    AND   HULDAH  63 

almost  absent-mindedly.  "  If  there  are  were 
wolves  !  To  be  sure  there  are  wovkalacks,  as 
the  rustic  calls  them,  but  they  are  unfor 
tunately  not  confined  to  the  forests,  nor  are 
they  the  product  of  witchcraft.  There 
are,  indeed,  men-wolves ;  they  are  neither 
shaggy,  nor  are  they  marked  by  wolfish 
heads,  nor  do  they  eat  or  tear  up  children. 
No,  they  are  dressed  like  men  ;  they  look, 
eat,  drink,  walk,  sleep,  and  talk  like  men,  but 
are  wolves  nevertheless,  wolves  in  instinct 
and  ferocity.  They  do  not  devour  your 
body,  but  they  tear  your  soul,  wring  your 
heart,  poison  your  blood,  darken  your  sun, 
kindle  and  feed  a  furnace  in  your  bosom,  a 
hell  in  your  mind.  They  revel  in  atrocity, 
rejoice  at  your  agony,  live  on  your  marrow, 
work  your  destruction  to  gratify  the  two 
basest  instincts — greed  and  vengeance.  In 
this  land  the  name  of  the  man-wolf  is 
legion.  He  wears  the  polish  of  refinement, 
the  mask  of  religion,  the  garb  of  justice,  the 
dignity  of  office,  but  preys  and  spies,  and 
bleeds,  and  robs,  and  tears — every  inch  a 
wolf.  I  have  felt  the  pestiferous  breath  of 


64  IN   THE   PALE 

one  of  these  men-wolves.  His  exhalation 
withered  this  world's  glories  for  me,  crip 
pling  my  body  and  agonizing  my  heart,  and 
only  the  healing  balsam  of  the  immaculate 
being  God  in  his  infinite  grace  has  sent  me 
rendered  life  endurable,  yea,  at  times  enjoy 
able.  If  there  are  men-wolves!  Lord,  but 
for  those  fell,  rapacious,  blood-thirsty  beasts, 
what  a  blessed  world  this  were  !"  Reuben 
ended  his  excited  speech,  all  changed  by 
the  spectral  shadow  the  topic  had  conjured 
up. 

The  man  spoke  with  the  calm  solemnity 
of  the  tragedian  who  reviews  a  tragic  situa 
tion,  and  Huldah's  interesting  and  inter 
ested  face,  turned  in  tender,  inexpressible 
sympathy  toward  her  father,  intensified  the 
dramatic  moment. 

"  Excuse  me,  friends,  I  forgot  myself," 
said  Reuben  apologetically,  remembering 
his  duty  as  host.  The  girl  clasped  her 
father's  hand  in  hers.  Dinka  broke  the 
moment's  silence  : 

"  Yes,  there  are  wolfish  bad  men,  too 
many  of  them  hereabout,  and  they  cannot 


EZRA    AND   HULDAH  65 

be  removed   either.     I  wish  I  could  move 
some  of  them  from  this  city." 

"There  is  one  in  sheepskin  whom  I  know, 
and  whom  I  should  like  to  transport  to  the 
land  where  the  pepper  grows,"  said  Huldah 
deliberately,  with  a  look  of  suppressed  hat 
red.  Reuben  was  startled  by  the  girl's 
vehemence,  aware  as  he  was  of  the  object 
of  her  abhorrence.  His  face  looked  sallow  ; 
Ezra's  countenance  glowed ;  the  others 
looked  at  one  another  in  mute  surprise. 
Huldah,  realizing  that  she  had  but  half 
uttered  her  sentiment,  continued  : 

"  He  is  an  odious  brute,  the  General,  but 
I  am  not  afraid  of  him ;  nor  do  I  see  him 
when  he  grins,  the  animal,  nor  hear  him 
when  he  whistles  to  attract  my  attention. 
Yesterday,  as  I  stepped  out  of  the  door  to 
fasten  a  shutter,  a  shower  of  silver  coins 
fell  around  me.  The  cur  thought  that  I 
would  pick  them  up  ;  but  he  was  mistaken." 

"You  did  not  tell  me  a  word  about  it, 
daughter,"  said  Reuben  nervously. 

"  Why  should  I,  father  ?     You  would  only 
worry,  that  is  all.     If  he  ever  comes  near 
5 


66  IN   THE   PALE 

me, — "  said  the  girl,  significantly  leaving 
the  sentence  unfinished. 

"Oh,  it  is  General  Greboff  you  have  in 
mind.  Not  pick  up  silver  coins !  I  wish  he 
tried  it  on  me.  He  is  not  a  bad  man,  is  he  ? 
Yes,  he  does  think  much  of  you,  that  I  am 
sure  of ;  but  he  is  not  a  bad  man ;  he  always 
pays  for  the  butter  my  Isaac  delivers  at  his 
quarters.  Colonel  Sterkatcheff  owes  me 
thirteen  roubles,  and  I  cannot  get  a  kopeck 
from  him,"  was  Dinka's  statement  of  facts. 

"  And  how  did  you  come  to  be  sure  that  the 
General  thinks  so  much  of  my  daughter  ?" 
inquired  Reuben  visibly  alarmed. 

"That  is  what  Colonel  Sterkatcheff  told 
me,  when  I  assured  him  that  I  was  a  poor 
widow,  and  could  not  afford  to  lose  thirteen 
roubles.  The  dog  pinched  my  cheek  and 
said:  'You  poor?  Look  into  the  mirror, 
and  see  how  your  big  jewels  become  you. 
You  are  not  so  handsome  as  Huldah  Peka- 
row,  but  you  are  good  for  twenty  years  to 
come.  There  are  not  many  like  her;  the 
General,  who  worships  her  as  his  goddess,  is 
right.  Why,  he  would  walk  barefoot  to 


EZRA    AND   HULDAH  67 

Jerusalem,  and  have  himself  made  over  to 
suit  her,  if  she  gave  him  the  least  encourage 
ment  ;  but  the  General  despairs  of  success ; 
she  is  another  Sebastopol  to  be  taken  by 
strategy/  That  is  what  the  Colonel  told  me 
about  it." 

"That  barrel  of  flesh  shall  be  eaten  by  the 
worms  before  he  sees  Jerusalem,  or  Jeru 
salem  sees  him.  I  should  stab  the  beast, 
if  he  ever  dared  insult  my  sister!"  cried 
Ezra,  rising  to  his  feet  in  excitement,  as 
though  his  sister  had  been  insulted. 

If  nobody  understood  the  Chazaris  indig 
nation,  Huldah  did,  and  her  appreciation  of 
his  sympathy  found  expression  in  a  look 
which  told  a  volume  of  sweet  things  to  the 
enamored  youth.  Neither  was  Reuben  blind 
to  the  impending  denouement  of  the  romance. 
He  had  watched  it  in  its  bud,  and  he  was  not 
unprepared  to  see  it  in  its  blossom.  Such 
was  the  golden  hope  he  fed  on,  or  his  alarm 
would  have  been  great,  indeed. 

"  Friends,  let  there  be  no  further  talk  on 
this  distasteful  matter,"  said  Reuben  ap- 
pealingly.  "  We  are  not  unguarded  against 


68  IN   THE   PALE 

the  inroads  of  brutality,  and  my  child  is  a 
budding  Deborah,  fully  armed  to  encounter 
vice  and  defeat  it.  And  does  not  our  living 
God  protect  innocence?  But  this  is  a  poor 
winding  up  of  a  pleasantly  spent  evening. 
I  am  sorry  that  I  brought  up  the  werewolf, 
and  we  are  going  to  have  something  more 
palatable  served  to  dispel  the  bad  taste  un 
clean  things  have  left  in  our  mouths.  Here 
come  refreshments." 

Refreshments  were  served,  but  the  com 
pany  could  not  be  restored  to  good  humor. 
The  friends  of  the  house  had  vague  misgiv 
ings  about  the  girl's  safety,  yet  nobody 
dared  give  voice  to  his  apprehension.  Ezra 
and  Huldah  were  invited  to  sing  a  duet,  but 
they  agreed  in  declining. 

As  some  of  the  friends  thought  that  they 
would  have  no  occasion  to  meet  the  Chazan 
again  before  his  departure,  they  shook  his 
hand  regretfully,  unwilling  to  part  with  so 
rare  a  chanter.  The  clock  struck  ten  when 
the  door  closed  behind  the  last  of  the  visi 
tors. 

"Child,"  said  Reuben  to  his  daughter,  "if 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  69 

you  love  me,  never  pass  the  threshold  of  our 
house  unaccompanied,  never  until  God  Al 
mighty  sends  you  the  one  of  all  men  who 
will  be  ready  to  live  and  die  for  you  !  " 


III 

VIRTUE    VERSUS    WICKEDNESS 

Israel's  great  Holy-Day  month  with  its 
suggestive  symbols  had  come  to  a  close. 
The  Feast  of  Booths,  commemorative  of 
his  wanderings  through  the  desert,  was 
over.  The  days  were  growing  shorter,  the 
nights  longer,  the  winds  colder,  the  dew  of 
the  morning  was  changed  into  hoar-frost,  the 
green  meadows  withered  into  a  dull  yellow. 
The  forest  pathways  were  thickly  strewn 
with  the  spoils  of  the  disrobed  silver-birch, 
of  the  oak,  the  aspen,  the  alder,  the  willow, 
the  wild  cherry  tree,  and  the  infinite  variety 
of  wild  shrubbery  impossible  to  enumerate. 
In  great  flocks  the  migratory  birds  were  seen 
to  wing  their  course  southward.  But  in 
Ezra's  heart  were  the  cheer  and  the  warmth 


70  IN   THE   PALE 

of  a  mild  summer.  Autumnal  gloom  with 
out  enhanced  the  brightness  within.  After 
a  stay  of  six  weeks  in  Reuben's  house,  he  had 
won  the  great  prize.  Huldah  was  his,  for 
ever  his.  It  could  not  have  ended  other 
wise.  The  youth  and  the  maiden  had  felt 
that  sacred  affinity  of  soul  which  mortals 
call  love,  failing  to  recognize  therein  a  col 
lateral  of  the  law  of  gravitation. 

They  had  been  six  hard  weeks  for  Reuben, 
who  h  ad  anxiously  watched  his  child 's  intense 
longing  for  the  youth.  In  her  voice  there 
was  a  tenderness  and  plaintiveness  which 
made  her  father's  heart  throb  with  sym 
pathy.  He  asked  his  daughter  no  questions, 
but  he  knew  enough  of  her  dynamic  tem 
perament  to  dread  the  consequences  of  un 
reciprocated  passion.  It  was  an  unfounded 
fear.  The  talented  CJiazan  was  as  desper 
ately  enamored  of  the  girl  as  she  was  of 
him.  He  watched  for  an  auspicious  moment 
to  unbosom  himself  to  his  worshipped 
maiden,  and  it  came  about  thus  : 

When  the  friends,  who  had  spent  the  even 
ing  under  Reuben's  hospitable  roof,  had  left, 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  71 

having  bidden  the  Chasan  a  hearty  adieu, 
Reuben  excused  himself,  and  withdrew  to 
his  office  to  attend  to  some  correspondence. 
Huldah  opened  one  of  the  shutters,  and 
threw  herself  into  an  arm-chair,  her  face 
turned  toward  the  window.  Across  the 
street  GrebofFs  birthday  was  being  cele 
brated  by  a  display  of  fireworks.  The  Gen 
eral  was  surrounded  by  the  higher  officers  of 
his  staff  and  many  prominent  civilians, 
and  his  residence  was  brilliantly  illumin 
ated  by  lamps  and  chandeliers,  and  flowers 
were  spread  about  in  profusion. 

Was  Huldah  interested  in  the  lively  pro 
ceedings  at  the  mansion  opposite?  was  the 
question  in  Ezra's  mind.  His  eye  rested  fix 
edly  on  the  perfect  outlines  of  the  maiden's 
form.  Why  did  she  not  speak  a  word  to  him, 
now  that  he  was  on  the  point  of  leaving  the 
home  he  had  learned  to  love  so  dearly? 
And  why  did  he  hesitate  to  break  the  silence  ? 
-Was  it  a  sob  that  had  escaped  her  bosom  ? 
— Yes,  Huldah  was  in  tears. — Wherefore  in 
tears  ?  Could  it  be  that  the  girl  loved  him,  and 
was  weeping  at  the  thought  of  his  departure  ? 


72  IN   THE   PALE 

Overpowered  by  an  impulse  that  defied 
all  self-control,  he  determined  to  learn  his 
fate  then  and  there.  Three  steps  brought 
him  near  enough  to  lay  a  gentle  hand  on 
her  shoulder.  The  touch  electrified  the 
girl.  She  started,  but  retained  her  seat. 

"You  weep,  Huldah,"  whispered  the  youth 
in  his  softest  tones,  sending  a  thrill  of  rapture 
through  her  whole  being ;  "  will  you  not  let 
me  have  a  share  in  your  sorrow  ?" 

The  maiden  rose,  her  face  turned  away, 
but  she  allowed  her  hand,  which  he  had 
passionately  seized,  to  remain  in  his. 

"  Is  it  because  my  stay  here  has  drawn  to 
a  close,  and  we  are  to  part  forever,  Huldah, 
forever  ?"  tenderly  repeated  the  youth. 

Huldah  vainly  essayed  to  speak;  even  her 
sobs  ceased.  Blushes  and  pallor  chased  each 
other  over  her  cheeks.  Her  eyes  fell  before 
her  wooer's  ardent  gaze.  She  made  a  faint 
attempt  to  withdraw  her  hand  from  his 
clasp.  Urged  into  action  by  the  scarcely 
perceptible  movement,  he  gently  drew  her 
towards  him,  and,  coyness  at  last  giving  way 
before  resistless  passion,  the  girl  silently 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  73 

and  tearfully  permitted  herself  to  be  em 
braced  by  Ezra,  who  sealed  the  sacred  bond 
with  kiss  after  kiss. 

When  Reuben  appeared  he  divined  the 
situation,  at  once  longed  for  and  feared. 
His  daughter's  yearnings  satisfied,  he  real 
ized  with  a  sudden  pang  that  love  of  him 
would  henceforth  fill  a  subordinate  place  in 
her  heart.  But  with  parental  unselfishness, 
he  forced  his  sense  of  loss  to  yield  before 
the  thought  that  his  daughter's  happiness 
was  secured,  so  far  as  human  judgment 
could  foresee. 

Huldah  rushed  from  the  arms  of  her  lover 
into  those  of  her  father,  hiding  her  head  on 
his  breast  and  murmuring  caressing  words. 
It  was  a  moment  of  great  joy  and  deep  feel 
ing,  intensified  for  Reuben  by  the  memory 
of  his  wife's  tragic  death,  which  obtruded 
itself  upon  his  mind  at  every  solemn  mo 
ment  of  his  life.  Having  satisfied  his  affec 
tion  by  repeatedly  kissing  his  child,  Reuben 
turned  to  Ezra : 

"  Come  hither,  son,"  said  he,  tears  run 
ning  down  his  cheeks,  "  come  hither.  With 


74  IN   THE   PALE 

this  daughter  of  mine  you  take  my  heart ; 
she  controls  my  destiny.  I  think  you  worthy 
of  her  love,  worthy  of  her  immaculate 
being.  May  your  career  be  blessed  of  God 
and  man." 

Herewith  Reuben  laid  his  hands  on  the 
heads  of  his  dear  ones,  blessing  and  kissing 
each  in  turn.  "  Sleep  will  not  trouble  me 
this  night.  Talk  to  me,  daughter.  You  will 
not  leave  your  father  alone,  will  you  ?"  asked 
he  in  a  voice  choked  by  emotion. 

The  question  proved  too  much  for 
Huldah's  filial  devotion  and  tender  affection, 
and  the  answer  came  in  the  shape  of 
renewed  weeping  followed  by  a  passionate 
embrace  of  parent  and  child. 

"  Very  well,  let  it  be  settled  thus.  There 
shall  hereafter  be  three,  instead  of  two,  in 
the  family,"  compromised  the  father  with  a 
tearful  smile. 

Ezra  happened  to  look  through  the  win 
dow,  and  was  mortified  by  the  sight  of  the 
General  across  the  street.  He  had  evi 
dently  been  an  interested  eye-witness  of 
the  happy  scene  in  Reuben's  house.  What 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  75 

right  had  he  to  intrude  on  the  sacred  privacy 
of  a  family  with  whom  he  held  no  intercourse 
whatsoever?  Ezra  and  Reuben  were  indig 
nant,  but  their  rage  was  impotent.  The 
General  held  all  Jews  in  contempt,  and 
had  a  special  reason  for  hating  Reuben,  who 
had  had  the  audacity  to  deal  with  him  in  a 
manner  which  had  struck  him  with  astonish 
ment.  He  had  not  been  taught  to  credit  an 
Israelite  with  a  sense  of  honor. 

Greboff  was  a  distinguished  soldier,  and 
very  popular  in  Tchernigoff.  From  the 
Crimean  war  he  had  come  forth  with  his 
breast  glittering  with  medals  and  his  name 
emblazoned  among  the  heroes  of  the  day. 
Greboff  was  by  no  means  handsome,  was 
very  corpulent,  but  an  excellent  horseman, 
had  a  powerful  voice,  was  affable  in  manner, 
accessible  to  the  poor,  and  liberal  to  a  fault. 
He  had  adopted  the  eccentric  habit  of  throw 
ing  handfuls  of  small  coins  for  the  boys  and 
the  poor  to  scramble  after,  and  thus  made 
himself  the  cynosure  of  all  eyes  and  the  fre 
quent  subject  of  conversation.  His  motto 
was  "Wine  and  Women,"  and  elsewhere  his 


76  IN   THE   PALE 

copper-colored  nose  and  prodigious  mustache 
would  have  rendered  him  a  tempting  object 
for  the  caricaturist.  In  Russia,  wit  of  this 
kind  lands  a  man  in  Siberia. 

One  day  a  package  bearing  the  General's 
name,  and  addressed  "  to  the  most  adorable 
beauty  of  the  house,"  was  delivered  at  Reu 
ben's  door.  The  Hebrew  turned  pale  at 
sight  of  the  address.  What  could  he,  a  Jew, 
do  to  chastise  the  brazen  impudence  of  a 
general  ?  Without  breathing  a  syllable  of 
the  affair  to  his  child,  Reuben  returned  the 
parcel  unopened,  accompanied  by  a  vigorous 
note,  informing  the  General  that  he  had 
ample  means  to  dress  his  daughter  in  silk 
and  sable,  but  considered  virtuous  sim 
plicity  far  more  precious  than  unholy  lux 
ury.  Vice  was  contemptible,  however  glit 
tering  it  be. 

Thereafter  the  service  of  the  house  was 
strengthened  by  a  combative  matron,  who 
was  informed  of  the  danger  of  her  charge. 
Heavy  bars  were  '  added  to  the  doors 
and  windows,  and  a  watchman  was  en 
gaged  to  have  an  eye  on  both  houses  and  to 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  77 

give  the  alarm,  should  the  necessity  arise. 
Reuben  had  concluded  to  move  to  other  quar 
ters,  when  Ezra's  arrival  held  out  hope  of  a 
different  solution  of  the  problem.  The  re 
sult  of  the  CJiazaris  sojourn  in  Reuben's 
home  was  providentially  to  interpose  the 
strongest  of  barriers  a  maiden  may  rely 
upon  for  safety.  Huldah  was  betrothed. 

Next  day  Reuben  had  a  lengthy  interview 
with  Ezra.  He  acquainted  him  with  the 
painful  incidents  of  his  life,  showed  him  the 
life-like  picture  of  Huldah's  dead  mother, 
and  suggested  that  he  establish  himself  at 
Tchernigoff,  where,  he  had  no  doubt,  the 
Jews  would  be  only  too  glad  to  secure  his 
services  as  Chazan.  Ezra  expressed  his  readi 
ness  to  be  entirely  influenced  by  Huldah's 
will.  "  Whatever  may  be  her  pleasure  is  my 
delight.  The  only  wish  I  have  is  to  let  my 
aged  parents  see  the  chosen  of  my  soul,  and 
as  they  cannot  come  hither,  it  is  proper  for 
us  to  go  to  them  as  soon  as  feasible,"  said 
the  youth,  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  fond 
father. 

When  the  engagement  of  Ezra  and  Hul- 


78  IN   THE  PALE 

dah  became  known,  the  Jewish  community 
were  quick  to  express  their  respects  to  the 
incomparable  Chazan  by  presenting  their 
congratulations  in  a  becoming  manner. 
Headed  by  the  Rabbi,  the  elders  appeared 
in  a  body  with  a  magnificent  Menorah  made 
of  solid  silver,  offering  it  to  the  betrothed 
couple  as  a  symbol  of  light,  holiness,  and 
felicity.  Congratulations  and  presents  came 
in  from  every  side.  Over  a  fortnight  the 
quiet  home  of  Reuben  was  held  in  a  flutter. 
Then  the  excitement  subsided,  and  the 
family  breathed  easy< 

It  was  a  melancholy  evening.  A  northern 
wind  caused  the  shutters  to  rattle,  and  a 
light  snow  began  to  whiten  the  deserted 
streets.  Supper  was  over.  Hannah  and 
Blume  had  cleared  the  table,  and  an  atmos 
phere  of  contentment  pervaded  the  room 
wherein  Reuben  was  feasting  his  eyes  on  the 
beautiful  lovers.  The  shutters  were  closed, 
and  the  howling  wind  without  increased  the 
sense  of  comfort  within.  The  date  of  the 
nuptials  was  discussed  and  settled.  "  Son, 
let  your  song  tell  us  how  God  revealed  Him- 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  79 

self  to  Israel  on  Sinai,"  proposed  Reuben. 
Ezra  complied,  rising1  like  a  soldier  before 
his  superior,  and  losing  himself  in  a  reverie 
of  improvised  melody,  which  showed  him  in 
his  superb  brilliancy.  "  You  are  my  singer 
of  singers,"  cried  Huldah  in  a  transport  of 
admiration. 

"And  you  are  my  angel  of  angels,"  re 
turned  the  noble  youth  with  passion. 

"Children,"  said  Reuben,  "I  did  not  tell 
you  that  I  had  a  very  strange  dream  last 
night,  which,  were  I  superstitious,  I  should 
assume  implied  something  untoward  to 
come.  In  my  youth  I  once  heard  a  stranger 
in  my  father's  house  tell  of  the  weird  fate  of 
an  informer  who,  in  the  guise  of  a  pious  Jew, 
had  betrayed  his  brethren  to  the  govern 
ment.  The  place  was  Mazir  on  the  Dniester. 
The  traitor  made  it  his  business  to  encour 
age  trifling  transgressions  of  the  arbitrary 
police  regulations  devised  against  the  Jews 
and  then  report  them  to  the  police.  The  poor 
Israelites  were  at  their  wit's  end  to  account 
for  their  persecutors'  knowledge  of  their  most 
hidden  transactions,  until  a  strange  occur- 


80  IN   THE   PALE 

rence  discovered  their  villainous  brother  to 
them. 

"  A  tailor  who,  like  hundreds  of  his  kind, 
spent  the  week  among  the  peasantry,  doing 
all  sorts  of  work  for  the  villagers,  was  on  his 
way  home  Friday  afternoon  to  celebrate  the 
Sabbath  with  his  family.  A  snow-fall  having 
effaced  the  pathway  leading  through  a  dense 
wood,  the  half-frozen  man  looked  around  for 
shelter  from  the  inclemency  of  the  weather. 
There  was  none  in  sight.  A  feeling  of  numb 
ness  gained  on  him,  and  he  realized  that 
only  a  miracle  could  save  him  from  being 
frozen  to  death.  He  prayed  for  help,  strug 
gling  onward,  without  knowing  whither,  the 
snow  having  fallen  a  foot  deep  and  left 
no  trace  of  a  road.  Evening  came,  and 
the  thought  of  his  wife  and  children  waiting 
for  him  in  vain,  and  wondering  what  had 
become  of  their  protector,  made  him  feel 
sick  at  heart.  At  this  critical  moment  a 
light  lured  him  from  a  distance.  Gathering 
his  last  strength,  he  succeeded  in  reaching 
the  spot,  and  found  it  to  be  the  entrance 
to  a  cave  illumined  by  a  big  fire  built  of 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  8 1 

logs  on  a  brick  hearth.  Before  the  blaze  sat 
an  imposing  figure  in  a  white  robe,  and  next 
to  it,  stretched  upon  the  ground,  lay  a  huge 
dog  with  tremendous  jaws.  The  figure 
told  the  tailor  to  warm  himself,  and 
asked  him  if  he  wanted  to  see  the 
punishment  of  Yankel  the  informer.  The 
affirmative  answer  of  the  astonished  man 
was  followed  by  the  stentorian  call :  '  Yank- 
ele,  come  in  !'  What  was  the  amazement  of 
the  tailor  to  see  Yankel,  one  of  the  most 
honored  Talmudists  of  Mazir,  walk  in,  at 
tired  in  his  Sabbath  habiliments.  The  in 
former  looked  as  pale  as  a  ghost. 

"  *  Yankele,  tell  this  tailor  how  often  you 
have  played  the  villain  against  your  brethren, 
and  what  your  atonement  is  to  be  for  a  hun 
dred  years  to  come,"  ordered  the  figure  in 
white. 

"  Yankel  gave  the  details  of  his  infamy  with 
candor  that  could  not  be  questioned,  and 
concluded  with  the  request  to  be  swallowed 
by  the  enormous  Cerberus.  As  though  the 
dog  knew  all  about  it,  it  rose  the  moment 
Yankel  uttered  his  own  doom.  The  beast's 
6 


82  IN   THE   PALE 

eyes  glowed  like  balls  of  fire,  its  jaws  dis 
tended  to  the  dimensions  of  a  crocodile's, 
and,  with  a  turn  of  the  head  that  enabled  it 
to  close  them  around  Yankel's  waist,  the 
monster  crunched  the  informer's  bones  be 
tween  his  teeth.  The  sickening1  sight  made 
the  tailor  turn  away,  and  the  cries  of  the 
agonized  reprobate  reverberated  in  the  cave. 
Not  a  vestige  remained  to  show  that  a 
whole  man  had  been  devoured. 

"'  Yankele,  come  in,'  commanded  the  self 
same  voice.  In  came  the  same  phantom, 
repeating  the  same  story,  and  receiving  the 
same  treatment.  *  Shema  Yisroel! '  cried 
the  poor  tailor,  his  blood  running  cold 
through  his  veins.  At  these  two  words 
the  scene  dissolved,  and  the  cave  vanished. 
What  became  of  the  tailor?  When  he 
looked  about  him  he  felt  the  warmth  of  a 
comfortable  room.  He  found  himself  on 
the  rude  couch  of  a  mujik,  his  hands  and 
feet  frozen.  The  house  was  that  of  an  hum 
ble  forester,  whose  dogs  had  drawn  his  atten 
tion  to  the  benumbed  tailor  by  their  whining 
and  barking.  The  man  had  gone  out  to  hunt 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  83 

game  in  the  morning,  had  lighted  on  the  un 
fortunate  Jew,  and  had  restored  him  to  con 
sciousness  by  rubbing  and  cold  applications. 

"  The  tailor's  vision  induced  the  elders  of 
Mazir  to  look  for  Yankel,  who  had  been 
missing  since  Friday  evening.  The  villain 
was  found  dead  in  his  bed,  with  a  cross  un 
der  his  shirt.  Yankel  had  been  an  apostate 
and  an  informer  in  disguise.  The  police  were 
notified  of  his  death,  and  he  was  buried  with 
honors  in  the  Greek  Catholic  cemetery. 

"That  story  recurred  to  me  in  my  dreams 
last  night.  Methought  I  saw  the  cave,  the 
white  figure,  and  the  beast,  but,  instead  of 
Yankel,  it  swallowed  my  deadliest  enemy, 
Yablow." 

"  Did  you  not  hear  a  wagon  stop  before 
our  door?"  asked  Ezra,  starting  to  his  feet. 

A  rap  at  the  entrance  was  distinctly  heard, 
and  Reuben  rose  to  answer  it.  On  opening 
the  door,  he  recoiled  with  horror.  There 
stood  the  Czar's  "  black  wagon,"  a  convey 
ance  that  should  bear  the  inscription  which 
is  over  the  gate  of  the  infernal  regions : 
"Who  enters  here  leaves  hope  behind." 


84  IN   THE   PALE 

There  was  no  time  for  questioning-.  Two 
gendarmes  laid  hold  on  old  Reuben,  and  the 
next  instant  saw  him  locked  in  the  dismal 
vehicle.  Before  Ezra  realized  the  situation, 
he  was  likewise  seized  and  pushed  into  the 
grim  van  through  another  door,  the  rolling 
jail  having  several  compartments.  As  the 
horses  moved  off,  Huldah  gave  a  shriek  of 
despair.  It  was  her  turn  now.  Four  iron 
hands  grasped  her  maidenly  frame,  while 
one  assailant  smothered  her  voice  with  a  rag, 
and  two  others  threw  Blume  into  the  next 
room.  All  this  was  the  work  of  a  moment, 
the  only  witness  of  the  crime  being  the  ter 
rified  Blume.  The  watchman  did  not  appear, 
and  when  Hannah,  startled  by  Huldah's 
cry,  rushed  to  the  front  of  the  house,  she 
found  Blume  in  convulsions. 

The  Czar's  subjects  speak  of  the  black 
wagon  with  as  much  horror  as  though  it 
were  a  vehicle  of  the  nethermost  pit.  It 
springs  from  night,  and,  having  swallowed 
its  prey,  vanishes  into  darkness.  It  glides 
into  sight  like  an  unearthly  hearse.  Black 
horses  pull  it ;  black  agents  direct  and  sur- 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  85 

round  it.  Stern  as  death,  they  are  inexora 
ble  as  fate,  mute  as  the  sphinx,  prompt  as 
hunger  and  greed,  and  cold  as  frost.  Without 
the  least  warning  the  black  wagon  pounces 
upon  its  victim,  tears  him  from  the  arms  of 
love,  from  the  house  of  prayer,  from  the  bed 
of  sickness,  from  the  wedding  table.  The 
black  wagon  is  unwindowed.  It  disgorges 
its  prey  into  some  sinister  cell,  there  to 
wither  in  dire  monotony,  varied  only  by 
interrogations  accompanied  by  the  knout. 
They  whom  the  black  wagon  seize  seldom 
return  alive;  the  few  that  escape  by  a 
miracle  are  wrecks  in  mind  and  body,  the 
ordeal  being  too  much  for  man  to  endure. 
Whoever  catches  sight  of  the  black  wagon 
at  the  ghostly  hour — the  hour  of  its  activity 
— rushes  out  of  its  way,  prompted  by  terror. 
Superstition  associates  with  the  spectral 
conveyance  the  agency  of  hell,  and  the 
worst  curse  uttered  by  vindictive  ignorance 
against  an  object  of  hatred  is :  "  May  the 
black  wagon  devour  thee."  Twice  during 
this  century  have  the  unfortunate  Poles 
learned  the  significance  of  that  curse. 


86  IN   THE   PALE 

As  soon  as  the  women  recovered  their 
presence  of  mind,  their  first  impulse  was  to 
make  for  the  door  and  inform  neighboring 
friends  of  the  occurrence,  but  they  found 
the  rear  and  front  of  the  house  barred 
and  guarded,  and  they  were  warned  to  stay 
where  they  were. 

"  I  shall  run  up  to  the  second  floor,  and  cry 
out  for  help,"  muttered  Blume.  "  I  have 
a  suspicion  that  the  child  is  in  the  General's 
residence." 

"  Let  us  cry  murder,"  suggested  Hannah. 
"The  dogs  can  do  nothing  to  us." 

In  a  moment  the  women  were  on  the 
upper  floor.  They  tore  open  a  window,  but 
neither  of  them  had  the  courage  to  break 
the  silence  of  the  night.  The  flickering 
lamps  in  sight  threw  a  dubious  glare  on 
the  drifting  snow.  Not  a  sound  was  heard, 
not  a  soul  seen.  In  Grebofl's  quarters  a 
dim  light  gleamed  from  behind  heavy 
hangings.  Instinctively  the  women  held 
their  eyes  fixed  on  the  General's  windows, 
as  if  the  source  of  all  evil  was  hidden  be 
hind  them.  And  lo  and  behold  !  two  sharp 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  87 

reports  as  of  •pistol  shots  issued  from  Gre- 
boff's  apartments,  and  were  followed  by 
a  lurid  flame,  which  brightened  into  a 
red  sheet  of  fire,  while  the  air  shud 
dered  with  the  cry  of  "  Murder  !  Fire  !"  The 
women  stared  amazed.  The  General's 
house  was  bursting  into  flames.  The  win 
dows  of  the  burning  habitation  flew  open, 
and  the  desperate  efforts  of  the  attendants 
to  remove  an  apparently  lifeless  body  could 
be  distinctly  seen  from  across  the  street. 
The  alarm  summoning  the  fire  brigade 
warned  the  city  of  the  conflagration. 

"  Come,  let  us  try  to  get  out  of  the  house, 
lest  it  catch  fire,  and  we  burn  alive,"  pro 
posed  Blume,  leading  the  way  down-stairs. 
They  found  the  door  open,  heard  the  gong 
of  the  engines  as  they  came  thundering  and 
whizzing  by,  and  were  on  the  point  of  turning 
into  a  back  alley,  when  they  heard  Huldah's 
cry  for  help.  It  was  no  dream.  Her  dress 
torn  to  tatters,  her  hair  dishevelled,  Huldah 
broke  through  a  window  of  the  doomed 
building,  ready  to  throw  herself  into  the 
street  at  the  risk  of  life  and  limb.  Heroic 


88  IN   THE   PALE 

Blume,  forgetful  of  her  own  danger,  inter 
posed  her  strong  arms  to  break  the  fall  of 
the  raving  girl.  Hannah  was  at  hand,  and 
no  sooner  had  Huldah  landed  in  the  street 
than  she  was  hurried  off  to  a  safe  place, 
night  and  confusion  covering  her  escape. 
"  Villain,  do  not  touch  me  ! "  repeatedly 
exclaimed  the  girl,  evidently  under  the 
feverish  impression  of  imminent  danger. 

Reassured  that  she  was  in  friendly  hands, 
she  cried:  "  Let  us  nee!  he  is  dead,  the 
villain — I  killed  him — shot  him  twice — threw 
a  burning  lamp  at  him — it  struck  a  hanging 
lamp,  both  exploded — he  burned,  the  beast — 
let  us  flee !  " 

Day  dawned  on  a  dismal  heap  of  ashes 
where  the  General's  residence  had  stood. 
His  half-charred  body,  bearing  the  marks  of 
Huldah's  bullets,  was  laid  out  in  a  room  of 
the  barracks,  and  Reuben's  deserted  home 
was  searched,  and  put  under  the  seal  of  the 
magistrate  pending  the  inquest. 

For  good  reasons,  the  circumstances  of 
GrebofFs  death  could  not  be  given  fully  in 
the  local  paper.  It  was  insinuated  that  the 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  89 

popular  hero  had  been  the  victim  of  Jewish 
vengeance,  and  the  populace  was  quick  in 
jumping  to  the  conclusion  that  the  Jews 
had  committed  arson  and  murder.  Threat 
ening  mutterings  were  heard  in  the  market 
place,  where  the  scum  of  the  city  gathered. 
The  rabble  had  reached  that  ugly  mood 
in  which  it  takes  but  a  second  to  pass  from 
word  to  deed,  when  a  man  appeared  on  the 
scene,  who,  owing  to  his  well-known  past, 
was  surnamed  "  the  little  Haman."  To  him 
the  crowd  turned  for  information,  anticipat 
ing  a  bitter  onslaught  against  the  sons  of 
Israel.  "  Let  us  hear  what  Stenko  Yablow 
has  to  say,"  passed  around,  and  the  man 
was  bodily  raised  on  a  dry-goods  box,  so 
that  he  might  be  seen  and  heard. 

Yablow  looked  pale,  and  his  eyes  betrayed 
anxiety  incompatible  with  the  spirit  of  a 
demagogue. 

"  Speak,  speak  !  Did  not  the  Jews  kill  the 
General  ?  "  cried  a  voice. 

"The  Jews  killed  Christ,  and  they  slew 
the  good  General !  "  clamored  another  voice. 

"  Brothers,  if   it  be  proved  that   General 


90  IN   THE   PALE 

Greboff  has  been  killed  by  a  Jew  or  a 
Jewess,  you  may  count  on  it  that  his  blood 
will  be  avenged ;  but  we  must  not  rashly 
make  innocent  people  suffer  for  the  crime  of 
one  person.  You  know  that  all  the  Jews 
of  Tchernigoff  could  not  be  guilty  of  killing 
one  man,"  reasoned  Yablow,  to  the  great 
disappointment  of  the  sanguinary  crowd. 

"  If  they  did  not  slay  the  General,  they  are 
hiding  the  murderer,"  said  a  priest. 

"  He  is  right,  he  is  right;  they  are  hiding 
the  murderer,"  cried  several  voices. 

"  Who  can  hide  himself  from  the  Czar's 
all-seeing  justice?  Are  not  five  persons  al 
ready  under  arrest  ?  And,  as  I  am  a  Chris 
tian,  I  shall  have  a  hand  in  the  matter ;  but 
innocent  people  must  not  be  hurt,"  protested 
Yablow. 

"  Innocent  people  ? "  echoed  the  priest 
sarcastically. 

"  Will  you  assume  the  part  of  the  Czar's 
all-knowing  judge?  Shall  we  have  blood 
shed  ?"  asked  the  attorney  sharply. 

"  Did  we  not  have  it  at  your  instigation 
in  years  gone  by,  innocent  soul  ?"  retorted 


EZRA    AND   HULDAH  9! 

the  priest  contemptuously.  "  Somebody  has 
pulled  the  devil  by  the  tail." 

For  a  moment  Yablow  stood  nonplussed, 
remembering  the  villain's  part  that  selfsame 
priest  had  taken,  at  his  prompting,  in  the 
ruin  of  Reuben's  house.  The  priest  and  the 
lawyer  looked  daggers  at  each  other.  There 
was  laughter  among  the  crowd.  Yablow 
struck  at  his  whilom  associate  in  crime  with 
a  weapon  that  rendered  resistance  hopeless. 

"  If  a  frail  layman  is  willing  to  repent  his 
sins,  why  should  not  a  father  of  the  merci 
ful  Church  do  as  he  preaches  ?  We  sinned 
together,  Father,  let  us  repent,  to  prove  our 
selves  worthy  of  our  meek  Redeemer,"  sug 
gested  the  lawyer,  with  a  twinkle  in  his 
eye  that  threw  some  doubt  on  his  earnest 
ness. 

"  He  has  seen  Jew-money,"  muttered  the 
priest,  turning  away  in  disgust  from  his 
adversary. 

Yablow  followed  the  holy  man  with  a 
look  of  scorn,  whistled,  with  his  arms 
akimbo,  and  wound  up  by  remarking :  "  Such 
be  some  of  our  holy  men  !" 


92  IN   THE    PALE 

His  descent  from  the  platform  was  the 
signal  for  the  dispersion  of  the  rabble, 
which  could  do  nothing  without  a  ring 
leader. 

Yablow's  change  of  heart  must  be  traced 
to  its  psychological  motive,  rare  but  not 
unnatural  in  the  d-omain  of  human  con 
science.  The  man  had  risen  from  what  he 
had  feared  would  prove  his  deathbed,  and  in 
reviewing  his  past  he  had  recoiled  from 
the  darkest  episode  in  his  career.  During 
feverish  nights  he  had  incessantly  reverted 
to  the  nameless  agony  he  had  caused  his 
Jewish  rival  in  the  legal  profession,  and  his 
fervid  prayer  was  that  he  might  be  granted 
a  short  lease  of  life  for  a  penitent  effort  to 
undo  whatever  could  be  undone.  Could 
Reuben's  implication  in  GrebofTs  death  be 
anything  but  an  answer  to  his  prayer  ?  Here 
was  his  chance  to  atone,  in  a  measure,  for  a 
crime  weighing  heavily  on  his  conscience.  It 
amounted  to  certainty  in  his  mind  that  the 
General  had  paid  with  his  life  for  some 
nefarious  misdeed,  and  he  was  prepared  to 
sift  the  matter  thoroughly.  Thus,  having 


EZRA    AND   HULDAH  93 

learned  that  Reuben  and  his  family  were  in 
the  clutches  of  the  police,  he  resolved  to 
throw  in  all  his  weight  in  favor  of  the 
prisoners,  and  he  proceeded  to  carry  out  his 
resolutions  with  great  energy.  Had  he  been 
known  as  a  friend  of  Israel,  his  offer  to  act 
as  the  champion  of  the  incriminated  family 
would  probably  have  met  with  less  ready 
acceptance.  The  "  little  Haman "  could 
scarcely  be  suspected  of  seeking  the  charge 
he  coveted  from  love. 

"  Will  the  Jew  accept  you  as  his  counsel  ?" 
was  the  only  question  put  to  Yablowby  the 
procurator. 

An  affirmative  answer  secured  for  him 
the  conduct  of  the  defence  before  his  clients 
had  an  inkling  of  his  intention. 

Meanwhile  the  whole  Jewish  community 
was  in  mourning  over  the  mysterious  trag 
edy,  because  of  its  serious  aspects  in  regard 
to  the  innocent  persons  implicated,  and 
when  it  transpired  that  Yablow  was  to  op 
pose  the  prosecution,  the  prospects  of  a  fair 
trial  darkened.  The  man  was  too  spiteful 
to  be  placated,  too  rich  to  be  bribed.  What 


94  IN   THE    PALE 

was  the  use  of  the  liberal  money  contribu 
tions  that  were  forthcoming  ? 

Nobody  had  the  least  intimation  of  the 
attorney's  change  of  sentiment.  Apprehen 
sion,  however,  gave  room  to  hope,  when  it 
became  known  that  Yablow  had  had  a 
lengthy  interview  with  the  Rabbi,  to  whom 
the  Christian  appealed  for  help  in  win 
ning  the  confidence  of  Reuben,  who  had 
so  good  a  reason  to  abhor  his  very  presence. 
A  communication  from  the  pious  head  of 
the  congregation  to  Reuben  paved  the  way 
for  a  meeting  and  an  understanding  between 
two  men  whose  reconciliation,  under  ordi 
nary  circumstances,  would  have  been  as 
likely  as  a  love-feast  between  Mordecai  and 
Haman. 

The  Rabbi  was  convinced  that  Yablow's 
remorse  was  sincere,  and  advised  the  head 
of  the  imprisoned  victims  to  trust  the 
Christian's  solemn  assurances,  and  to  accept 
his  proffered  service  as  defender,  he  being 
as  powerful  for  good  as  for  evil. 

The  fact  that  Reuben  had  been  the  first 
thrown  into  the  black  wagon  precluded  his 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  95 

knowing  the  sequel,  which  had  involved  his 
only  child  in  a  criminal  case.  The  Rabbi's 
information  made  him  realize  the  magnitude 
of  his  misfortune,  and,  great  as  must  have 
been  his  aversion  to  the  author  of  his  life 
long  misery,  Yablow's  unsolicited  offer  to 
exculpate  his  child— a  service  none  within  a 
radius  of  many  miles  could  do  better  than 
he — had  to  be  gratefully  acknowledged,  yea, 
looked  upon  in  the  light  of  a  godsend. 

What  in  any  civilized  land  would  have 
been  cleared  up  by  a  coroner's  inquest,  in 
Russia  required  an  indefinite  protraction  of 
legal  formalities,  pending  which  the  pris 
oners  were  to  continue  in  durance  vile. 
Reuben's  greatest  anxiety  was,  therefore, 
to  hasten  the  trial,  and  Yablow  took  up  the 
defence  with  zeal  as  earnest  as  his  previous 
animus  against  the  Hebrew  had  been  deadly. 
A  villain  touched  by  remorse,  he  was  the  right 
man  to  deal  with  a  crime  too  often  connived 
at  by  the  Czar's  subservient  magistrates. 

When  the  date  of  the  trial  became  known, 
the  Rabbi  ordered  the  day  to  be  observed  as 
a  fast,  and  required  the  Jewish  community 


96  IN   THE   PALE 

to  gather  in  the  several  places  of  worship 
to  pray  for  the  exculpation  of  the  innocent 
victims.  In  the  court-room,  military  circles 
were  represented  by  the  general  of  the 
division  in  which  the  dead  Greboff  had  at 
tained  distinction,  besides  a  few  inferior 
officers  that  had  sought  admission. 

Yablow  was  prepared  to  accept  the  evi 
dence  of  the  state  prosecutor  that  Greboff's 
death  had  been  caused  by  the  discharge  of 
a  deadly  weapon  in  Huldah's  hand.  Nor 
did  he  intend  to  deny  that  the  General's 
quarters  had  been  set  on  fire  and  destroyed 
by  a  lamp  the  maiden  had  flung  at  her  as 
sailant.  But  did  not  the  circumstances  vin 
dicate  the  act  of  an  outraged  maiden,  who 
valued  virtue  more  than  life  ? 

"  Facts,  humiliating  facts,  face  the  court, 
and  innocence  cries  to  heaven  for  justice," 
exclaimed  Yablow.  "  General  Greboff  died 
guilty,  not  alone  of  a  heinous  crime  against 
inviolable  virtue,  but  he  broke  the  Czar's 
law,  inasmuch  as  he  counterfeited  His 
Majesty's  secret  means  of  justice  to  gratify 
a  villainous  passion.  The  black  wagon  was 


EZRA    AND   HULDAH  97 

imitated  to  perpetrate  a  black  crime.  To 
break  into  a  peaceful  home  at  a  late  hour  of 
the  night,  seize  the  head  of  the  house  and 
the  betrothed  of  his  daughter,  throw  them 
into  a  black  van,  then  lock  them  up  in  a  dingy 
cellar,  so  that  a  helpless  maiden  might  be 
gagged,  kidnapped,  and  ruined  !  Ye  hon 
ored  judges  of  the  Czar's  retributive  law, 
would  not  you  glory  in  the  heroism  of  your 
daughters,  had  they,  to  escape  shame  and 
ruin,  done  as  Huldah  Pekarow  did  ?  There 
can  be  but  one  decision,  and  a  monument  of 
bronze  should  be  set  to  the  girl  in  commemo 
ration  of  virtue's  triumph  over  vice." 

Yablow's  position  was  strong,  and  Huldah's 
graphic  tale  of  her  desperate  situation  did 
not  weaken  it.  The  fact  remained,  how 
ever,  that  Ivan  Greboff,  a  distinguished  sol 
dier,  had  fallen  by  the  hand  of  a  Jewish 
maiden  for  attempting  unsuccessfully  what 
others  accomplish  with  impunity.  Thus, 
while  the  other  prisoners  were  acquitted 
as  "men  without  a  blemish,"  Huldah's 
sentence  was  reduced  to  five  years'  im 
prisonment,  with  -a  recommendation  by  the 
7 


98  IN   THE   PALE 

judges  to  the  Czar  for  a  pardon,  which, 
meant  five  years  and  nothing  less. 

Reuben  and  Ezra,  seeing  Huldah  led  off 
in  chains,  despised  their  freedom,  and  Han 
nah  and  Blume  rent  the  air  with  lamenta 
tions. 

"  Do  not  despair,  brother  Reuben,"  cried 
Yablow,  as  he  joined  him  outside  of  the 
court-room.  "  Your  daughter  shall  be  with 
you  before  the  moon  changes  twice." 

"  That  is,  if  a  miracle  happens,"  said  the 
old  man  in  tears. 

"  Years  must  pass  until  a  pardon  can 
come  from  the  Czar,  if  it  ever  comes,"  re 
marked  Ezra. 

"The  miracle  will  happen,  take  my  word 
for  it,"  promised  Yablow,  and  looking 
around,  as  if  afraid  to  be  overheard,  he  con 
tinued  :  "All  we  have  to  secure  for  our  end 
is  her  imprisonment  in  the  jail  of  Kharkow ; 
her  escape  thence  is  a  certainty." 

"  My  only  child,  my  angelic  Huldah  in 
prison !"  cried  Reuben,  his  hands  folded  in 
pain. 

"  Here,  enter  my  house,  Pekarow,"  sug- 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  99 

gested  Yablow,  as  they  stood  before  a 
spacious  building.  "  I  have  rooms  prepared 
for  you  and  this  young  man,  until  your  own 
home  is  in  order.  You  need  rest  and  new 
clothing;  everything  has  been  attended  to." 

Reuben  looked  at  his  old  enemy  with  as 
tonishment,  hesitated  an  instant,  but  re 
membering  that  he  and  the  youth  needed 
rest  and  a  change  of  dress,  he  yielded  to  the 
repeated  invitation  of  the  singular  Yablow. 
Distrust  had  made  room  for  confidence. 

"  When  you  have  had  a  bath  and  have 
rested,  I  shall  divulge  a  secret  to  you, 
brother  Reuben,  of  no  less  interest  to  you 
than  the  liberation  of  your  daughter,  which, 
I  guarantee,  will  be  effected  much  sooner 
than  you  dream,"  said  the  host. 

"Speak  to  me  now;  why  defer  a  thing 
that  holds  out  hope  ?"  spoke  Reuben. 

"  Do  you  hope  ever  again  to  behold  your 
son  ?  "  asked  Yablow  calmly. 

"  My  son  !  Are  you  sane  ?"  exclaimed  the 
startled  Hebrew. 

"  Pekarow,  your  son  is  alive,  so  may  Christ 
save  my  soul ;  he  is  alive,"  asserted  Yablow. 


IOO  IN   THE    PALE 

"  Stenko  Yablow,  why  do  you  torture  me  ? 
How  can  my  daughter  get  free,  and  how 
can  my  son,  drowned  more  than  twenty 
years  ago,  be  alive  ? "  asked  Reuben,  in 
great  agitation. 

"  Did  you  ever  see  your  son's  body?"  was 
Yablow's  question. 

"  Yablow,  you  are  mistaken  about  my 
son ;  he  is  dead,"  maintained  Reuben. 
"Help  me  out  of  this  land  with  my  Hul- 
dah,  and  you  shall  have  a  pound  of  golden 
coin." 

"  Ah,  no  Shylock  bargain  with  me,  Peka- 
row  ;  keep  your  gold  for  your  children,  man. 
I  have  vowed  in  my  soul  to  be  your  friend, 
having  done  you  evil  in  the  past.  Now,  hear 
me.  After  you  have  rested,  the  first  thing 
for  you  to  do  is  to  dispose  of  your  property. 
It  will  cost  me  a  handsome  amount  to  have 
your  child  sent  to  Kharkow  prison.  Be  at 
hand  there  with  this  young  man  and 
another  person  of  courage.  I  shall  look  out 
for  the  rest;  do  you  understand?  The  head 
of  that  jail  is  a  school  friend  of  mine. 
Tell  this  to  your  daughter  as  soon  as  you 


EZRA   AND    HULDAH  IOI 

may.  Assure  her  of  special  treatment  in 
the  cell  and  of  speedy  restoration  to  those 
that  love  her,"  ended  Yablow,  insisting  that 
the  liberated  prisoners  attend  to  their  com 
fort. 

Reuben's  frame  of  mind  may  be  more 
easily  imagined  than  described.  After 
months  of  suspense  spent  within  a  melan 
choly  cell,  ignorant  of  the  extent  to  which 
his  child  was  implicated  in  the  General's 
death,  he  saw  her  sentenced  for  a  term  which 
to  him  was  eternity.  The  mere  possibility  of 
finding  his  first-born  son,  given  up  as  dead, 
turned  painful  suspense  into  anguish.  In 
vain  Ezra  pointed  out  the  finger  of  Provi 
dence,  so  manifest  in  the  various  incidents 
of  their  common  misfortune,  in  the  glorious 
deed  of  the  divine  Huldah,  as  in  Yablow's 
transformation  from  a  fierce  villain  into  a 
generous  champion.  Everything  would 
pass  off  well.  "  The  Christian  swore  by  his 
Redeemer  that  your  son  is  alive,  and  if  he 
is  alive,  we  shall  find  him,"  concluded  Ezra. 

"  Son,  my  wits  are  turning ;  it  were  too 
much  for  me  to  survive,"  replied  Reuben  in 


102  IN    THE   PALE 

a  broken  voice.  "  Why  does  he  not  tell  me 
where  my  child  bides  ?" 

"  Let  him  do  it  in  his  own  way.  He  seems 
anxious  to  possess  your  fullest  confidence. 
The  man  is  in  dead  earnest  and  full  of 
devices.  Make  him  feel  that  you  depend 
on  his  friendship  for  all  that  is  dear  and 
near  to  you  in  this  world,"  advised  Ezra. 

"  Stenko  Yablow,  my  friend  !  The  woe  and 
the  wonder  of  my  life !"  cried  Reuben. 

Meanwhile  the  tidings  spread  throughout 
the  Jewish  community  that  the  incompar 
able  Chazan  as  well  as  Reuben  and  the  two 
women  of  his  household  had  been  set  free, 
but  not  Huldah,  she  who  had  been  glorified 
in  prose  and  poetry  as  the  sweetest  maiden, 
beautiful  as  the  rose  of  Sharon,  sweet  as  the 
dew  of  heaven,  heroic  as  immortal  Deborah, 
but  ill-fated  as  Hannah  of  old,  who,  for 
the  sake  of  faith,  sacrificed  her  seven  chil 
dren.  Men  and  women  prayed  that  she 
might  be  restored  to  her  lover,  and  the  girls 
shed  tears  of  sympathy,  and  wore  mourning, 
in  token  of  their  genuine  sorrow. 

After  the  night  spent  at  Yablow's  house, 


EZRA    AND   HULDAH  103 

Reuben  and  Ezra  were  greeted  with  great 
solemnity  at  the  synagogue  by  the  Rabbi 
and  the  Elders.  In  the  throng  of  prominent 
men  who  thus  welcomed  the  twain  restored 
to  liberty,  stood  the  picturesque  figure  of  as 
interesting  a  personality  as  the  Chazan  him 
self.  It  was  the  youthful  Messenger  from 
Jerusalem,  Zemach  Ben  David,  a  celebrity 
in  the  domain  of  Kabbalistic  wisdom  and  a 
poet  of  no  mean  genius.  His  verses  were 
composed  in  the  purest  Hebrew,  and  they 
breathed  the  sweet  soul  of  Jehuda  Halevi. 
In  appearance  he  bore  striking  resem 
blance  to  Ezra,  and  his  Oriental  costume 
lent  him  romantic  interest. 

In  Reuben's  misfortune  he  was  deeply 
concerned,  and  his  sympathy  with  Huldah 
found  expression  in  a  poem  so  pathetic  that 
its  recitation  was  the  signal  for  lamentation. 
Zemach  shook  Reuben's  hand  with  a  hearti 
ness  which  gave  comfort,  and  offered  his 
personal  service  in  any  and  every  shape. 
"  Use  me  in  any  way  you  please ;  I  am  born 
to  assist  my  brethren  in  distress,"  said  the 
generous  Messenger. 


104  IN    THE    PALE 

To  Ezra  Zemach  felt  especially  at 
tracted,  having  heard  of  his  great  vocal 
powers  and  the  romantic  turn  his  sojourn 
in  Reuben's  house  had  taken.  The  first 
meeting  of  the  two  distinguished  young 
men  resulted  in  a  friendship  based  on  recip 
rocal  esteem. 

Zemach  and  Ezra  represented  the  loftiest 
ideals  of  Slavonic  Jewry,  poetic  mysticism 
and  divine  song.  Furthermore,  there  was  a 
something  about  Zemach's  individuality 
that  impressed  Ezra  with  the  feeling  that 
he  was  the  man  they  needed  in  that  critical 
hour.  The  young  men  loved  each  other  as 
though  they  had  spent  all  their  lives  to 
gether  as  schoolmates  or  brothers.  An  un 
accountable  consciousness  of  affinity  some 
times  apprises  two  beings  that  they  are 
spiritually  related.  The  strongest  feature 
in  their  quickly  developed  affection  was  the 
feeling  that  they  should  never  part  again. 
It  was  an  intuition  hard  to  explain. 

Reuben  secured  access  to  his  daughter  to 
inform  her  that  she  would  be  transferred  to 
Kharkow  for  the  purpose  of  speedy  libera- 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  IO5 

tion,  and  that  he  and  Ezra  would  be  at  hand 
to  further  her  escape.  The  girl  assured  her 
father  that  her  greatest  suffering  was  his 
sorrow,  her  heart  being  gratified  by  the 
death  of  the  brute  that  had  threatened  her 
honor  and  by  her  fortunate  escape  from 
shame,  and  inspired  by  the  hope  of  soon 
joining  her  dear  ones. 

"  Is  not  my  Ezra  an  infinite  comfort  to 
you  ?  He  will  wait  for  me,  and  be  near 
you  till  I  join  you.  Promise  me  to  bear  it 
calmly,  dear,  good  father,  and  my  slumbers 
will  be  easy,  my  heart  hopeful.  If  you  cry,  I 
shall  be  miserable  ;  I  feel  your  agony  a 
thousand  miles  away,"  spoke  Huldah  be 
seechingly,  kissing  the  hands  of  the  old  man, 
who  was  the  image  of  unutterable  grief. 
Finally  they  had  to  part.  Reuben  had 
wisely  refrained  from  communicating  to  the 
girl  the  uncertain  tidings  about  a  brother 
she  had  never  heard  of. 

His  next  move  was  to  dispose  of  his  home, 
draw  in  his  various  investments,  and  be 
ready  for  migration  whithersoever  God 
might  direct.  In  a  fortnight  everything  was 


106  IN   THE   PALE 

arranged,  and  Yablow  informed  him  that 
Kharkow's  great  prison  harbored  the  heroic 
maiden. 

"  We  have  her  where  we  wished  her  to  be  ; 
it  remains  to  carry  out  the  plan  of  freeing 
her.  You  must  furnish  me  with  two  brave 
men,  and  yourself  be  ready  to  receive  her 
beyond  the  Czar's  boundaries.  I  hold  my 
self  responsible  for  the  safe  issue  of  the  ad 
venture,  provided  you  furnish  the  right 
men,"  the  undaunted  attorney  assured  him. 

"How  much  time  do  you  need  to  carry  the 
plan  into  effect?"  inquired  Reuben. 

"  As  much  as  you  need  to  find  the  men 
that  are  to  act  as  I  direct  them,"  said  Yablow. 

"  Suppose  I  produce  the  men  to  morrow, 
will  it  hasten  matters  ?  "  asked  the  other. 

"  The  sooner  the  better ;  delay  will  do  us 
no  good,"  affirmed  Yablow. 

"  Whatever  money  you  need  I  am  pre 
pared  to  supply,"  remarked  Reuben. 

"  Yablow  owes  Reuben  more  than  all  the 
treasures  on  earth  can  pay.  Here,  take  this 
guilty  hand  of  a  penitent  brother,  who  has 
often  prayed  to  God  to  be  forgiven.  Your 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  IO7 

son  is  alive,  Pekarow.  You  have  not  asked 
me  any  questions,  martyred  Jew,  though.  I 
know  your  heart  is  burning  with  fearful 
anxiety  to  learn  the  fate  of  your  first  child. 
Your  boy  lives ;  his  nurse  died,  driven  to 
despair  by  her  cowardly  act  of  sending  the 
sleeping  babe  down  the  Desna  in  a  boat. 
Tremble  not,  man,  he  is  safe.  I  know  all.  I 
have  traced  him  to  the  home  where  he  spent 
the  years  of  his  early  youth,  and  I  shall  spare 
no  pains  to  ferret  out  his  present  where 
abouts.  Now,  make  your  arrangements,  and 
let  me  know  your  men.  I  must  have  them 
in  Kharkow,  where  you  will  meet  me  before 
the  Epiphany  Fair  opens.  The  director  of 
the  prison  is  my  chum,  and  will  be  lenient 
to  please  me.  Here  is  my  address  at  Khar 
kow  ;  apprise  me  of  your  arrival.  No  money, 
do  you  hear?  Though  it  cost  ten  thousand 
roubles,  Yablow  can  stand  it.  Farewell,  I 
must  be  gone." 

There  was  no  time  for  idle  reflection  ;  the 
hour  called  for  energetic  action.  That  Ezra 
would  rush  into  fire  for  his  beloved,  who 
could  doubt  it?  But  why  the  magnanimous 


108  IN   THE   PALE 

Messenger  was  expected  to  join  him  in 
the  perilous  enterprise,  was  a  question  to 
be  answered;  yet  it  was  on  him  that  both 
Reuben  and  Ezra  counted,  and  they  were 
not  mistaken  in  their  judgment.  The  Ori 
ental  declared  his  cheerful  willingness  to 
share  every  hazard  with  Ezra  in  the  attempt 
to  save  the  imprisoned  maiden.  The  Mes 
senger  would  not  even  accept  thanks  for  his 
readiness  to  serve. 

"  Why  have  I  life  and  limbs,  if  not  to  use 
them  in  the  noblest  cause  I  can  think  of? 
A  man  should  appreciate  a  good  chance 
offered  him  to  do  a  manly  deed,"  was 
Zemach's  reply. 

"  You  are  my  messenger  from  God  !  "  ex 
claimed  Reuben  with  ardor.  "  I  see  that  the 
Almighty  is  doing  wonders  for  the  sake  of 
my  precious  child." 

The  next  day  the  three  men  were  on  their 
way  to  Kharkow,  whither  Yablow  had  pre 
ceded  them. 

A  matter  of  serious  consideration  was  the 
selection  of  a  place  of  refuge  for  Reuben 
and  his  daughter.  Might  not  an  extradition 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  IOQ 

treaty  exist  between  Russia  and  her  im 
mediate  neighbors,  and  Huldah  be  applied 
for  as  a  refugee  convicted  of  murder  ?  Her 
whereabouts,  therefore,  not  alone  ought  to  be 
remote  from  Muscovy,  but  ought  to  remain 
a  secret.  After  the  advantages  and  the  dis 
advantages  of  a  number  of  places  had  been 
considered,  Zemach  named  Morocco  as  the 
land  of  his  individual  preference,  and 
Tangier  as  the  fairest  place  for  a  new  home. 
His  reasons  were  these  : 

"The  city  is  beautifully  spread  on  the 
shore  of  the  Mediterranean,  the  climate  is 
mild  and  salubrious,  the  soil  fertile,  and 
provisions  cheap.  Nobody  is  asked  who  he 
is,  or  whence  he  comes,  it  being  a  cosmo 
politan  place,  and  it  is  an  easy  matter  to 
put  one's  self  under  the  protection  of  some 
powerful  consulate.  Above  all,  Rabbi 
Nahon  of  Tangier  is  my  friend,  a  very  good 
old  man,  weighted  with  sacred  lore  even 
more  than  with  years.  A  letter  from  my 
hand  would  open  his  heart  and  his  door, 
and  to  him  I  should  recommend  you. 
Should  you  grow  tired  of  Tangier,  the 


110  IN   THE   PALE 

Orient  is  vast,  and  Constantinople  may  be 
easily  reached  by  the  sea." 

"  Be  it  Tangier,  then,  and  the  Holy  Land 
thereafter,"  decided  Reuben. 

The  Epiphany  Fair  of  Kharkow  is  the 
busiest  of  its  four  annual  fairs.  A  fair  in 
Russia  means  a  vast  concourse  of  people 
from  adjoining-  provinces,  a  bewildering 
conglomeration  of  heterogeneous  humanity. 
Weeks  previous  to  the  great  conflux  of 
buyer  and  vender,  the  vanguard  of  itinerant 
commerce  arrives,  and  the  preparatory  work 
of  booth-building  begins.  Advantageous 
spots  in  the  market  place  command  a  high 
price,  and  are  held  in  lease  from  season  to 
season.  Rows  of  shops  and  stalls  rise, 
crudely  built  of  pine  boards,  lined  and 
covered  with  canvas,  and  furnished  with 
shelves  for  the  display  of  sundry  wares  cal 
culated  to  fascinate  the  muji&s  unrefined 
taste.  Him  you  see  arrive  in  festive  gar 
ments,  bringing  for  sale  home-spun  yarn, 
stuffs,  woollen  and  linen ;  wax,  grain,  flour, 
hemp,  wool,  raw  hides,  cordage,  swine's 
bristles,  fruits,  green  or  dry,  strings  of  dried 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  III 

mushrooms,    sheep,  horses,  cattle,  pigs,  in 
short,  anything  that  will  realize  a  coin. 

A  Russian  fair  resembles  an  Oriental 
bazaar  in  all  but  a  few  national  and  local 
peculiarities.  Lines  of  stands  are  kept 
by  venders  of  drinks,  such  as,  mead  and 
kivas,  or  of  eatables,  such  as,  eels,  crabs, 
salted  or  fresh  fish,  caviar,  and  a  variety  of 
pastry.  The  gypsy  is  here  with  his  fiery 
ponies,  and  the  money-changer,  heaps  of 
silver  and  copper  coin  before  him,  and 
charging  exorbitant  discount  for  metal  cur 
rency  in  exchange  for  the  Czar's  paper 
rouble.  From  different  quarters  come  the 
sounds  of  music,  vocal  or  instrumental. 
Hither  the  populace  streams,  eager  to  hear 
the  fabulous  tales  of  popular  heroes  told 
by  aged  or  blind  minstrels.  Numerous  are 
the  taverns,  gardens,  and  cheap  restaurants 
wherein  throngs  of  the  lower  classes  drink, 
quarrel,  swear,  and  dance.  The  unfailing 
drunkard's  brawl,  the  pickpocket's  raid,  the 
brutal  fight,  and  the  horse-thief's  escapade 
are  small  incidentals  for  the  ubiquitous 
police  to  attend  to.  There  are  also  exhibits 


112  IN   THE   PALE 

of  finery.  Merchants  of  the  higher  guilds 
are  there  prepared  to  supply  the  better  class, 
especially  the  nobility,  with  whatever  fancy 
or  fashion  dictates,  from  the  most  costly 
sable  robe  to  the  finest  racer  bred  in  the 
Ukraine. 

Yablow  justly  concluded  that  the  Epiph 
any  Fair  was  the  most  suitable  time  for  the 
execution  of  his  scheme.  In  his  first  rendez 
vous  with  the  Hebrews  at  Kharkow,  he  de 
clared  himself  ready,  and  astonished  Reuben 
by  producing  a  document  signed  by  the 
Governor,  and  ordering  the  head  jailer  to 
deliver  Huldah  Pekarow  to  the  gendarmes 
who  were  to  transport  her  to  Siberia. 

"  The  Governor  has  never  seen  this  docu 
ment,"  remarked  Reuben  laconically. 

"  And  my  friend,  the  head  jailer,  shall 
never  see  it,"  replied  Yablow. 

"  What  shall  be  our  part  in  the  enter 
prise  ?"  inquired  Zemach. 

"  Let  me  sum  it  up  in  a  few  words.  In 
twenty-seven  days  the  fair  opens.  By  that 
time  you  will  be  equipped  and  drilled,  as 
the  Czar's  gendarmes  should  be,  and  pre- 


EZRA   AND   HULDAH  113 

pared  to  present  this  document  at  the  office 
of  the  prison  director,  or  head  jailer,  who 
is  going  to  be  sick.  His  assistant  will 
be  his  substitute,  and  him  you  will  find 
willing  and  prepared.  The  girl  will  be  de 
livered  to  you,  and  it  will  be  your  business 
to  disguise  her,  divest  yourselves  of  your  own 
disguise,  and  hurry  beyond  the  reach  of  the 
Czar's  genuine  red-coats.  The  place  of 
refuge  must  be  your  choice,  but  rest  not 
ere  you  have  crossed  Russia's  frontier. 
Austria  is  not  far;  embark  at  Trieste,  the 
Adriatic  takes  you  to  the  Mediterranean, 
which  laves  the  shores  of  all  the  civilized 
lands,  as  well  as  of  others  not  civilized." 

"  Young  men,  you  have  heard  the 
nature  of  the  task  before  you,  what  do  you 
say  to  it?  In  no  other  way  can  my  child  be 
rescued ;  what  is  your  determination  ?  "  asked 
Reuben. 

"  This  question  is  for  you  to  answer, 
friend;  there  is  nothing  I  am  unprepared  to 
do  for  the  beloved  of  my  soul,"  said  the 
Chazan  to  the  Messenger. 

"If  it  be  love  with  you,  duty  and  honor 
8 


I  14  IN   THE   PALE 

prompt  me  to  stand  by  you,  come  what  may. 
What  I  promised  I  shall  keep,"  affirmed 
Zemach  unhesitatingly. 

"  Young  man,  I  am  old  enough  to  be  your 
father,"  resumed  Reuben  in  a  solemn  voice; 
"yet,  I  assure  you,  I  have  never  thought 
man  capable  of  such  lofty  generosity  as  your 
nature  reveals.  You  teach  me  the  great  les 
son  that  there  is  a  spark  of  divine  love  in 
the  human  breast.  Whatever  be  our  lot 
in  the  days  to  come,  as  long  as  this  heart 
throbs,  my  soul  shall  bless  you,  my  house 
shall  be  yours.  And  since  you  deem  Tan 
gier  the  safest  place  for  me  to  choose  as 
home,  will  you,  God  being  gracious  to  us,  add 
to  our  happiness  by  making  your  home 
with  us  there  ?  " 

"  Why  should  recompense  be  offered  or 
accepted  for  willingness  to  do  what  man 
hood  should  consider  a  privilege?"  returned 
the  Messenger.  "  Who  compensates  you 
for  being  a  Jew  with  all  it  implies?  Thus 
far,  I  have  but  substituted  one  resolution 
for  another.  Instead  of  gathering  funds  to 
alleviate  misery  in  the  Holy  Land,  I  use  a 


EZRA    AND   HULDAH  115 

little  time  to  relieve  it  as  it  chances  to  cross 
my  pathway,  the  pathway  of  the  wandering 
Jew,  serving  God  by  serving  the  cause  of 
honor  and  justice." 

"I  am  struck  with  astonishment  at  the 
unparalleled  qualities  of  your  people,  Reu 
ben.  Here  are  human  beings  who,  in  mat 
ters  of  heroic  endurance  and  moral  inde 
pendence,  put  the  fabled  demi-gods  to  shame. 
Only  a  Jew  could  have  been  willing  to  bleed 
on  the  cross,  so  that  mankind  might  be  re 
deemed.  I  have  never  seen  a  Jew  despair," 
asserted  Yablow  firmly. 

"  Despair !  Dastards  despair  whenever 
there  is  a  hitch  in  the  gear,"  cried  Reuben, 
inflamed  by  momentary  inspiration. .  "  Had 
the  Jew  ever  despaired,  this  would  be  a 
beastly  world,  wallowing  in  the  mud  of  a 
bottomless  slough.  Ay,  if  you,  brave  though 
you  be,  ye  followers  of  the  meek  Nazarene, 
had  had  to  foil  the  obduracy  of  a  Pharaoh, 
cross  a  Red  Sea  with  an  army  close  at  your 
heels,  receive  a  Revelation  before  a  burning 
mountain,  and  have  your  loyalty  to  it  tested 
by  forty  years  of  wandering  through  a  desert 


Il6  IN   THE   PALE 

infested  with,  hydra-headed  Amalek ;  fol 
lowed  by  a  deadly  struggle  of  cycles  with 
desperate  heathendom,  and  supplemented 
by  a  dance  to  death  extending  over  eighteen 
centuries,  you  would  have  despaired.  But 
there  is  enough  of  Moses  in  every  true- 
hearted  Israelite  to  guard  him  against  des 
pair  in  the  very  jaws  of  destruction.  Ah, 
witness  my  daughter.  And  here,  behold 
this  youth,  a  stranger,  willing  to  hazard  life 
and  liberty  to  rescue  an  unknown  maiden." 

"  Yes,  the  Jews  are  a  strange  people,  and 
you,  my  friend,  are  essentially  one  of  them. 
I  have  had  my  lesson  ;  I  am  conquered  and 
humbled.  She  has  been  to  see  me,  your 
wife  ;  yes,  she  has  visited  me.  Death  will 
not  efface  the  sight,"  said  the  Christian,  the 
color  flying  from  his  face,  while  Reuben  rose 
to  his  feet,  all  amazement  and  trembling. 

"  My  wife  has  visited  you  ?  What  are  you 
raving  about?  My  wife!  Are  you  sane?" 

"  Your  wife,  your  dead  wife,  appeared  to 
me  in  the  dead  of  night,  with  a  thousand 
snakes  hissing  Murder !  in  my  ear,  and 
pointing  to  an  abyss  terrible  to  think  of, 


EZRA    AND   HULDAH  1 17 

and  I  vowed  to  save  my  soul  by  doing  good 
where  I  had  been  the  cause  of  evil.  Do  you 
understand  me  now  ?  I  have  bequeathed  to 
you  my  whole  estate  ;  the  Church  shall  not 
get  a  kopeck  from  me.  The  fell  priest  was 
my  evil  inspiration.  I  can  do  no  more;  your 
daughter  shall  be  free,  and  your  son  shall  be 
restored  to  you.  Adieu,  Reuben  Pekarow. 
These  young  men  will  meet  me  in  Kharkow ; 
but  who  knows  where  you  and  I  shall  meet 
again — perchance  before  the  Judgment  Seat. 
Take  my  hand.  The  old  Yablow  is  dead;  I 
am  not  he.  Take  this  hand,  and  say :  I  for 
give,  so  may  Israel's  God  be  gracious  to  me," 
the  Christian  closed  his  appeal  to  the  crip 
pled  Jew. 

"  Stenko  Yablow,  a  higher  Power  has 
pronounced  your  verdict,"  cried  Reuben, 
deeply  moved;  "I  bear  you  no  hatred,  hav 
ing  had  proofs  of  your  great  remorse.  The 
evil  you  have  done  cannot  be  undone,  alas ! 
Yet  you  are  forgiven  by  the  man  whose  ruin 
you  confess  to  have  compassed.  Yea,  you 
are  forgiven,  as  I  believe  in  the  mercy  of 
Israel's  long-suffering  God.  But,  before  we 


IlS  IN   THE   PALE 

part,  probably  never  to  meet  again  on  earth, 
favor  me  with  whatever  particulars  you 
have  gathered  in  regard  to  the  whereabouts 
of  my  lost  child,  so  that  I  may  trace  his  foot 
steps  in  this  labyrinthine  world." 

"  They  are  written  down  and  shall  be  in 
your  hands  even  before  the  close  of  this 
day,"  were  the  last  words  Reuben  heard 
from  the  man  whom  he  had  so  much  cause 
to  curse  and  to  bless.  Making  the  sign  of 
the  cross  on  his  breast,  Yablow  closed  the 
door  behind  him.  The  moment  Reuben 
was  alone  with  his  friends,  he  exclaimed  : 
"That  man  has  been  judged  by  Thee,  Lord 
of  eternal  retribution.  Thy  will  be  done !" — 

Two  days  later  Reuben  entered  upon  his 
long  journey  to  the  coast  of  Morocco,  having 
been  furnished  with  letters  to  the  venerable 
head  of  the  Jews  in  Tangier.  As  his  plan 
was  to  settle  in  the  Moorish  city,  he  found 
it  advisable  to  have  the  faithful  Blume  ac 
company  him  thither,  she  having  had  Hul- 
dah  in  charge  since  her  tender  infancy. 

Yablow  remained  in  Kharkow  to  superin 
tend  the  necessary  preparations  for  Huldah's 


EZRA    AND   HULDAH  119 

escape.  As  neither  of  the  young  men  knew 
how  to  mount  a  horse,  they  had  to  be  given 
an  idea  of  equestrian  craft,  and  a  skilful 
horseman  was  engaged  to  instruct  them. 
The  details  of  the  impending  adventure  at 
tended  to,  the  youthful  heroes  burnt  with 
impatience  for  the  fateful  hour.  Prudence 
dictated  caution  and  secrecy,  so  that,  except 
in  their  consultations  with  Yablow,  the  make- 
believe  gendarmes  kept  severely  aloof  from 
public  places,  in  which  an  Argus-eyed  police 
might  have  had  opportunity  to  become 
interested  in  their  identity.  Thus  thrown 
on  their  limited  resources  to  while  away 
long  days  and  evenings,  the  youths  depended 
on  each  other  for  diversion.  Great  as  was 
the  intimacy  of  the  two  friends,  there  was  an 
aloofness  in  Zemach's  bearing  that  made 
Ezra  feel  uneasy.  Was  not  the  magnanimous 
Messenger  going  to  risk  his  all  to  help  him 
free  his  love  ?  Who  had  ever  heard  of  such 
self-sacrifice  in  return  for  nothing  ?  Failure 
in  this  hazardous  enterprise  meant  Siberia, 
if  nothing  worse. 


120  IN   THE   PALE 

IV 
THE   MYSTERY   SOLVED 

The  nearer  the  critical  hour  approached, 
the  more  incomprehensible  appeared  to 
Ezra  the  conduct  of  his  companion  in  danger. 
Who  was  this  young  man  ?  What  were  his 
antecedents?  Why  did  he  show  so  much 
concern  in  the  fate  of  a  maiden  he  had  never 
seen?  Furthermore,  the  expressive  features 
of  the  Messenger,  when  animated,  revived 
in  Ezra's  memory  the  image  of  someone  he 
must  have  seen  somewhere.  "  If  I  have  not 
seen  him,  I  must  have  seen  someone  who 
looks  strikingly  like  him,"  was  Ezra's  un 
spoken  conclusion.  The  fact  was  that  the 
Messenger  left  a  great  many  questions  un 
satisfied,  studiously  evading  every  allusion 
to  his  past,  and  this  it  was  that  Ezra  was 
anxious  to  penetrate.  Although  absorbed 
by  the  painful  situation  of  his  betrothed, 
the  Chazan  did  not  fail  to  notice  that  his 
friend  had  moments  of  great  mental  dejec 
tion.  Why  had  he  not  the  courage  to  ask 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  121 

him  the  direct  question  :  "  Who  are  you  ?" 
He  waited  for  a  favorable  opportunity,  which 
came  two  evenings  before  the  memorable 
day.  In  the  strain  of  an  ardent  lover,  Ezra 
was  rhapsodizing  on  the  angelic  qualities  of 
his  divine  Huldah,  how  his  parents  would 
welcome  her  to  their  home  and  their  hearts, 
and  how  convinced  he  felt  that  he  had  found 
the  one  woman  on  earth  to  make  him  happy. 
A  silent  tear  rolled  down  the  cheek  of  the 
Messenger.  Seizing  his  friend  by  the  hand, 
the  Chazan  cried  : 

"  A  Providential  power  has  thrown  us 
together  for  a  purpose  yet  to  be  unveiled. 
We  have  been  friends,  intimate  friends,  these 
many  weeks,  yet  I  know  nothing  of  your  his 
tory,  and,  strangely  enough,  from  day  to  day 
the  conviction  has  been  growing  stronger  in 
me  that  I  have  seen  you  before.  Certain  it 
is  that  I  bear  a  dim  likeness  of  you  in  the 
picture  gallery  of  my  soul.  How  am  I  to  ac 
count  for  it  ?  And  may  I  not  know  the  sor 
row  in  your  heart?" 

"  You  are  doubtless  deceived  by  the  re 
semblance  I  happen  to  bear  to  some  person 


122  IN   THE    PALE 

among-  your  past  associations.  Had  we 
ever  met,  a  Messenger  of  Zion  and  a  Chazan 
of  your  renown,  it  is  not  likely  that  we 
should  have  forgotten  each  other,"  replied 
Zemach  coldly. 

"  You  are  right.  Yet  I  could  swear  to  it 
that  I  have  somewhere  seen  these  very 
features.  Perhaps  in  one  of  your  nearest 
kindred?"  questioned  the  Chazan. 

11  My  nearest  kindred !  Friend,  he  who 
shall  succeed  in  placing  me  before  my 
nearest  kindred  shall  be  credited  with  the 
power  of  making  the  sphinx  talk,"  replied 
Zemach. 

"Parents,  but  no  relatives  whatsoever?" 
continued  Ezra,  with  a  purpose  in  mind. 

"  Neither  parents  nor  relatives — alone  in 
this  wide  world — alone ;  ask  no  more, 
friend,"  answered  the  Messenger  gently, 
adding  :  "  You  look  surprised.  Do  you  un 
derstand  my  sorrow  ?" 

"  Why  should  I  not  ?  Pardon  the  inquisi- 
tiveness  of  a  disinterested  friend  :  why 
Zemach  Ben  David?  The  name  implies 
knowledge  of  a  father,"  urged  the  CJiazan. 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  123 

"  You  touch  upon  the  sorest  point  in  my 
heart,  Ezra',  the  unsolved  mystery  of  my 
existence.  The  authors  of  my  life  I  have 
tried  to  trace  in  vain.  What  I  dimly  re 
member  is  that  water  surrounded  me,  that 
a  man  of  coarse  features  took  me  out  of  the 
boat  that  bore  me,  allayed  my  fears  by  kind 
words  and  caresses,  took  me  into  his  cabin 
built  on  a  floating  raft,  and  delivered  me  to 
an  elderly  couple  in  a  house  in  a  large  city. 
The  man's  name  was  David,  the  woman's, 
Dinah.  They  taught  me  to  love  them  ten 
derly,  and  I  have  had  good  reasons  to  con 
clude  that  God  could  not  have  given  me 
better  parents  than  those  pious  people. 
They  at  that  time  lived  in  Odessa,  but  we 
soon  crossed  a  wild  sea,  and  landed  in  a  yet 
greater  city,  Constantinople. 

"Well,  the  hour  came,  when,  before 
breathing  his  last,  he  whom  I  believed  to  be 
my  father  told  me  as  much  as  he  knew  of 
my  origin,  handing  me  a  talisman  that  had 
hung  round  my  neck  when  I  was  delivered 
to  him.  His  good  wife  followed  him  soon, 
leaving  me  heir  to  the  little  the  dear  people 


124  IN   THE   PALE 

had  had.  I  stood  alone,  friendless,  yet  not 
unprepared,  my  foster  parents  having  given 
me  the  benefit  of  a  fair  education.  What 
could  I  do  ? 

"  I  turned  my  face  toward  the  Holy  Land. 
Here  I  craved  and  received  the  mission  of 
Messenger.  You  now  know  all.  Useless  to 
add  that  my  message  hides  the  unuttered 
purpose  of  tracing  the  spot  where  my  cradle 
stood,"  confessed  Zemach. 

"  Which  purpose  has  hitherto  remained 
unfulfilled,"  supplemented  Ezra. 

"  Unfulfilled,"  confirmed  the  Messenger. 
"  How  find  a  needle  in  a  hay-stack?" 

"  You  need  a  clue.  Why,  if  you  only 
knew  the  stream  whereon  you  were  found, 
that  might  lead  to  some  result.  Have  you 
nothing  in  your  possession  to  justify  syste 
matic  search  ?  You  said  that  you  have  a 
talisman  of  some  kind.  What  is  it  ?"  asked 
Ezra. 

"  What  I  have  suggests  nothing  ;  a  charm, 
I  suppose,  but  it  gives  no  clue.  O,  that  the 
things  around  us  are  deaf  and  mute  !  "  cried 
the  Messenger  impatiently. 


EZRA    AND   HULDAH  125 

"  Herein  we  disagree.  Whatever  there 
is  in  the  heavens  or  on  earth  will  speak, 
if  we  know  how  to  address  it  in  its  lan 
guage,"  asserted  the  Chazan  philosophically. 
"  What  made  Solomon  the  wisest  man  ?" 

"  In  what  language  would  Solomon  have 
addressed  a  thing  like  this  ?"  asked  the  Mes 
senger,  as  he  brought  forth  an  amulet  in  the 
shape  of  a  heart. 

The  charm  was  made  of  ivory.  On  its 
face  was  graven  an  open  hand,  which  dis 
played  in  the  palm  the  Tetragrammaton  in 
diminutive  Hebrew  letters  in  gold  over 
a  conspicuous  "  R,"  likewise  filled  with  the 
precious  metal. 

"  Let  me  look  at  it,"  cried  Ezra,  grasping 
the  amulet  eagerly. 

"  Mark  this  '  R.'  Why  not  Reuben  ?  He 
talks  of  a  lost  child  drowned  in  the  Desna 
long  ago !  That  is  why  I  so  eagerly  engaged 
in  this  adventure,  prompted  by  the  hope  of 
possible  identification.  But  Yablow's  asser 
tion  that  he  knows  about  the  child  is  dis 
couraging  ;  he  can  know  nothing  about  me," 
maintained  the  Messenger. 


126  IN   THE   PALE 

Ezra's  hand  trembled  as  he  examined  the 
amulet ;  he  instinctively  felt  that  it  con 
tained  a  solution  of  the  problem  of  Zemach's 
parentage.  He  was  convinced  that  the 
talisman  in  his  hand  was  hollow,  and  that 
its  contents  were  invaluable. 

"  Have  you  ever  tried  to  open  it  ?"  in 
quired  the  Chazan  in  a  state  of  excitement. 

"  It  cannot  be  opened ;  it  is  one  piece, 
made  of  solid  ivory,"  replied  the  Mes 
senger. 

"  I  am  sure  it  is  hollow,  and  put  together 
somehow,"  disputed  the  Chasan.  "  It  should 
have  been  opened  long  ago." 

"  I  would  not  have  it  broken  for  the 
world,"  returned  the  Messenger  emphati 
cally. 

"Not  for  the  possibility  of  finding  therein 
a  clue  to  the  place  of  your  birth,  the  authors 
of  your  life  ?"  queried  the  Chazan  im 
patiently. 

"It  is  out  of  the  question;  the  charm  is 
too  small  to  prove  anything,  but  unspeak 
ably  dear  to  me,  who  am  under  the  impres 
sion  that  my  mother's  hand  hung  it  around 


EZRA    AND    HULDAH  I2/ 

my  neck.  It  is  solid/  and  cannot  be  opened," 
the  Messenger  reiterated  his  conviction. 

"That  may  be  tested.  If  your  mother 
suspended  the  amulet  around  your  neck,  she 
had  an  object  in  doing  so.  Small  things 
play  a  great  part  in  human  affairs,  friend. 
Let  us  try  to  open  it,"  proposed  Ezra,  driv 
ing  his  thumb  nail  along  the  edge  of  the  tal 
isman  to  the  great  alarm  of  the  Messenger. 

"  Spare  it !  It  is  the  only  heirloom  I  have 
from  my  unknown  parents,"  cried  Zemach. 

In  his  eagerness  to  take  the  amulet  out  of 
the  hand  that  held  it,  the  Messenger  caused 
it  to  drop  on  the  hard  floor,  when,  splitting 
in  twain,  it  brought  to  light  the  portraits 
of  a  young  man  and  woman,  evidently  in  the 
prime  of  married  life.  No  sooner  had  Ezra's 
eye  fallen  on  the  photographs  than  he 
uttered  a  loud  cry,  which  sent  a  shiver 
through  the  blood  of  the  Messenger. 

"  These  are  Huldah's  parents,  her  father 
and  her  mother,  your  father  and  your 
mother !  My  heart,  my  prophetic  heart ! 
You  are  Reuben's  son,  Pekarow's  lost  child, 
Huldah's  brother,  my  brother!" 


128  IN   THE   PALE 

All  this  was  said  in  a  breath.  Zemach's 
thoughts  quickened  with  the  pulsations  of 
his  throbbing  heart.  The  young  men  rushed 
into  each  other's  arms,  but  Zemach  broke 
down  under  the  sudden  realization  of  his 
father's  life-long  tragic  sorrow.  The  emo 
tions  were  too  deep  to  be  expressed  in  words 
Sympathy  makes  grief  as  well  as  joy  con 
tagious.  Ezra  made  no  attempt  to  comfort 
his  Huldah's  newly  -  found  brother,  but 
heartily  wept  with  him,  whose  mother  was 
killed,  whose  father  was  a  cripple,  and  whose 
sister  was  in  prison.  The  Chazan  fondly 
held  the  Messenger's  hand  in  his  hands, 
and  looking  through  tears  into  his  eyes  said 
smilingly : 

"  Not  Zemach  Ben  David  hereafter,  but 
Nachom  Ben  Reuben.  Have  I  not  been  the 
Daniel  to  interpret  the  hand  on  the  talis 
man?  Your  father  has  with  him  a  large 
portrait  of  your  blessed  mother,  of  which 
this  is  an  excellent  miniature  copy.  You 
resemble  your  mother,  and  now  I  see  that 
it  is  Huldah  of  whom  you  reminded  me. 
It  is  well  that  the  old  man  is  not  here ;  the 


EZRA    AND   HULDAH  129 

shock  might  have  proved  too  much  for  him. 
It  is  the  finger  of  God  !" 

"May  the  Almighty  assist  us  in  liberating 
the  child  !"  prayed  the  Messenger  in  tears. 

"There  is  a  prophecy  in  my  soul  that  we 
are  going  to  have  the  sweetest  girl  with  us 
within  a  few  days.  Is  not  everything  point 
ing  that  way  ?"  said  Ezra. 

When  the  first  flow  of  emotion  had  made 
room  for  sober  thought,  the  young  men 
utilized  every  moment  in  perfecting  the 
preparations  for  Huldah's  escape.  Yablow 
was  indefatigable  in  training  the  mock  gen 
darmes,  and  was  perfectly  successful  in 
removing  every  obstacle  in  their  way.  But 
his  success  did  not  appear  to  relieve  him  of 
a  sore  conscience.  The  man  could  neither 
eat  nor  sleep,  and  every  day  found  him 
more  haggard  and  melancholy  than  the  last. 
But  his  activity  continued  undiminished. 

On  the  eve  of  the  Epiphany  Fair,  Yablow 
called  at  the  rooms  occupied  by  the  Chazan 
and  the  Messenger  to  inform  them  that 
matters  were  in  excellent  shape.  The  direc 
tor  of  the  prison  guaranteed  the  liberation 
9 


130  IN   THE   PALE 

of  Huldah  the  moment  the  papers  signed  by 
the  provincial  Governor  were  presented  to 
his  subordinate  by  the  gendarmes.  The 
warning  was  added  that,  the  escape  being 
effected,  the  uttermost  haste  in  placing  the 
fugitive  beyond  the  reach  of  the  genuine 
red-coats  was  a  vital  condition  of  safety,  lest 
the  forgery  be  discovered,  in  which  case  he 
would  be  powerless  to  prevent  the  police 
from  resorting  to  the  usual  means  of  track 
ing  the  convict  and  arresting  her  and  her 
liberators.  Forty-eight  hours  was  the  max 
imum  of  time  given  them. 

"  Then,  to-morrow  afternoon,  when  the 
sun  declines,  you  proceed  in  military  array 
to  the  main  portal  of  the  prison,  and  present 
your  order  to  the  proper  authority.  Gold 
has  paved  your  way.  There  will  be  small 
ceremony,  and  the  maiden  will  be  delivered 
to  you.  Take  her  and  rest  not  before  you 
touch  the  other  side  of  the  Pruth,"  Yablow 
enjoined,  sealing  the  truth  of  his  statement 
with  the  sign  of  the  cross.  The  man  looked 
pale  and  nervous,  as  though  living  in  un 
endurable  suspense. 


EZRA    AND   HULDAH  131 

In  a  few  graphic  words,  Ezra  introduced 
the  Messenger  of  Zion  as  Reuben  Pekarow's 
lost  child,  and  reported  the  unmistakable 
proof  they  had  found  of  the  relationship. 
Yablow's  eyes  dilated  with  astonishment. 
He  crossed  himself  again  and  again,  seized 
the  hand  of  the  sobbing  youth,  kissed 
it  with  ardor,  and  swore  by  the  salvation  of 
his  soul  that  he  had  bequeathed  his  entire 
estate  to  his  father,  Reuben  Pekarow,  and 
that  he  would  take  care  that  the  fortune 
should  go  to  him  for  whom  it  was  intended. 
"  God  and  Christ  rule  this  world ;  man  is 
nothing,  no  more  than  a  fly.  Ah,  if  all  men 
were  good  Christians,  would  not  this  be  a 
heavenly  kingdom  ?  Yet  a  Jew  may  like 
wise  be  great,  and  lead  a  saintly  life,  as  your 
father  has  demonstrated,  my  boy.  I  stand 
sobered  of  a  wide-spread  lunacy.  Yea,  it  is 
blasphemous  presumption  to  meddle  with 
Deity  in  the  grand  affair  of  managing  His 
Universe,  as  though  we  had  an  idea  of  His 
unfathomable  designs.  If  this  world  needed 
no  Jews,  there  would  be  none.  And  this, 
young  men,  applies  to  Christianity  and 


132  IN   THE    PALE 

every  other  ideal  cherished  by  mankind. 
May  I  die  a  Christian  as  I  was  born,  and 
may  Moses  point  your  pathway  to  heaven," 
finished  Yablow  in  a  pathetically  appealing 
voice. 

The  man's  remorse  was  indeed  sincere, 
and  his  heroic  efforts  to  undo,  as  much  as 
was  in  his  power,  the  evil  he  had  conjured 
up  were  a  triumph  of  the  best  quality  in 
human  nature  over  the  worst.  He  shook 
the  young  men  warmly  by  the  hand,  en 
couraged  them  by  the  assurance  that  he 
would  be  near  them  in  the  critical  hour,  ex 
acted  a  promise  to  let  him  hear  of  their  safe 
arrival  in  Morocco,  and  handed  the  Messen 
ger  a  heavy  purse  to  defray  expenses. 
"  You  are  under  the  protection  of  the  Most 
High,  that  is  manifest,"  he  said  in  parting. 

When  the  Christian  had  closed  the  door 
behind  him,  the  Chazan  and  the  Messenger, 
as  though  obeying  the  command  of  a  supe 
rior  officer,  turned  their  faces  toward  the 
East,  and  prayed  that  their  perilous  attempt 
might  be  crowned  with  success. 

The   next    day   found    Kharkow    a    hive 


EZRA    AND   HULDAH  133 

of  buzzing  humanity.  The  great  Epiphany 
Fair  was  open.  When  the  lengthening 
shadows  indicated  the  approach  of  night, 
there  issued  from  a  stable  in  the  suburbs 
two  gendarmes  finely  equipped.  Behind 
them,  mounted  on  a  horse,  but  keeping  at  a 
considerable  distance,  we  recognize  Stenko 
Yablow,  all  fever  and  anxiety.  They  ad 
vance  in  the  direction  of  the  great  prison  of 
Kharkow,  wherein  hundreds  of  human  lives 
are  entombed  in  utter  silence  and  unbroken 
loneliness  ;  for  in  the  Czar's  jails  speech  and 
association  with  fellow-creatures  are  con 
sidered  luxuries,  and  are  punished  as  a 
breach  of  discipline.  Punishment  here 
means  the  lash  or  incarceration  in  a  fetid 
cell,  and  no  difference  is  made  between  men 
and  women. 

The  gendarmes  are  stopped  and  ques 
tioned  before  the  prison  gate,  while  Yablow 
watches  developments  from  a  sequestered 
spot.  The  gendarmes  are  admitted.  The 
officer  that  faces  them  is  not  the  director 
himself,  but  obviously  knows  what  is  to 
be  done.  He  reads  the  document  signed 


134  IN   THE   PALE 

by  the  provincial  Governor,  muses  an  in 
stant,  which  seems  an  eternity  to  the  gen 
darmes,  and,  without  asking  a  question, 
writes  an  order,  hands  it  to  a  warden, 
and  turns  his  face  toward  a  window  over 
looking  a  court  guarded  by  a  number  of 
armed  men.  The  young  men  have  their  eyes 
on  every  door  within  view.  Presently  one 
opens,  and  from,  behind  the  bars  comes 
forth  a  maid  in  her  prison  habiliments.  It 
is  Huldah,  and  she  is  accompanied  by  a 
warden  to  the  office,  where  the  two  gen 
darmes  are  allowed  to  take  her  in  charge. 
Looks  are  exchanged,  but  no  word  is 
spoken,  except  these  by  the  officer :  "  Here 
is  your  prisoner;  take  her,  and  lose  no 
time." 

The  next  moment  Huldah  is  beyond  the 
portals  of  the  prison,  in  the  care  of  her 
lover  and  her  brother.  At  Yablow's  whistle 
a  team  starts  up  as  suddenly  as  if  it  had  been 
hidden  in  the  earth.  A  dark  night  and  fleet 
horses  favor  the  escape.  Yablow  makes  the 
sign  of  the  cross,  and  vanishes  into  the  dark 
ness  of  night.  The  third  day  dawns  on 


EZRA   AND   HULDAH  135 

three  happy  beings  in  a  region  of  perfect 
safety.  They  have  crossed  the  Pruth. 
Jassy  is  their  next  destination,  but  they 
rest  not  until  they  find  themselves  on  ship 
board  on  the  Adriatic. 

Kind  reader,  be  satisfied  if  no  attempt  is 
made  to  describe  what  cannot  be  painted  in 
cold  syllables  to  be  articulated  by  human 
lips.  Great  joy,  following  great  sorrow,  has 
but  one  language — tears.  Of  these  there 
were  enough. 

You  have  seen  the  meeting  of  father  and 
daughter  on  the  shore  of  Tangier ;  you 
know  the  heroes  of  our  story,  and  we  credit 
your  imagination  with  sufficient  power  to 
form  a  mental  picture  of  the  sequel. 


THE   BAAL-SHEM  AND   HIS   GOLEM 

^  I  ^HE  meaning  of  Baal-Shem  is  "  man 
of  fame."  The  Baal-Shem  must  be  a 
Zaddik,  that  is,  a  man  of  righteousness  and 
piety.  What  gives  him  the  power  of  an  auto 
cratic  leader,  or  chief,  however,  is  his  great 
familiarity  with  things  in  the  domain  of  the 
supernatural  and  his  unlimited  sway  over 
agencies  invisible.  Earth  and  heaven,  and 
whatever  there  be  thereon,  therein,  and  be 
tween,  are  assumed  to  be  subject  to  his 
omnipotent  will.  His  unquestioned  author 
ity  is  based  on  profound  knowledge  of  the 
most  metaphysical  of  sciences — the  Kab- 
bala.  If  the  Baal-Shem  suffers  this  wicked 
world  to  continue,  it  is  because  of  his  rev 
erence  and  piety,  which  do  not  permit  him 
to  thwart  the  Providential  design  so  mani 
fest  to  him.  Otherwise,  one  word  from  his 
lips  would  hurl  this  insignificant  creation 
into  the  abyss  of  darkness  and  oblivion. 
Infallibility  may  describe  the  self-conscious 
(136) 


THE  BAAL-SHEM  AND  HIS  GOLEM   1.37 

power  of  a  Pope  ;  it  gives  no  adequate  idea 
of  the  Baal-Shem's  all-controlling  omnipo 
tence.  However  high  the  seraph,  however 
low  or  malignant  the  demon,  the  Baal- 
Shem's  behest  they  have  to  do,  and  his 
votaries  know  this  too  well  to  entertain  any 
doubt  about  it.  What,  then,  is  impossible 
for  so  formidable  a  person? 

It  was  on  account  of  a  famous  Zaddik  of 
this  description  that  Karolin,  an  obscure 
town  in  the  province  of  Moghileff,  acquired 
renown  entirely  out  of  proportion  to  its  size 
and  importance.  Its  geography  and  topo 
graphy  became  of  vital  interest  to  myriads 
of  the  faithful,  who  flocked  thither  to 
drink  in  the  words  of  mystic  wisdom  that 
incessantly  dropped  from  the  inspired  lips 
of  Reb  Aarele  Baal-Shem.  The  Karolin 
Chassidim  entertained  the  highest  possible 
opinion  of  their  spiritual  chief,  and  were 
not  unprepared  to  see  the  biblical  miracles 
eclipsed  by  his  supernatural  doings.  It  was 
an  open  secret  that  it  was  in  Reb  Aarele's 
power  to  arrange  things  above  and  below 
to  suit  himself,  hosts  of  good  and  evil 


138  IN   THE   PALE 

agents  being  comp'elled  to  do  his  bidding, 
whatever  it  might  be. 

As  proof  of  his  universal  supremacy,  it 
was  circulated,  during  the  Crimean  War, 
that  the  celestial  prototype  of  Czar  Nicholas 
—every  ruler  below  having  an  archetype 
above  to  plead  his  cause — had  been  seen  in 
the  dead  of  night,  bowing  humbly  before 
the  couch  of  the  Baal-Shem.  The  purpose 
of  the  nocturnal  interview  was  understood 
to  be  an  effort  on  the  part  of  His  Shadowy 
Majesty  to  secure  for  his  sublunary  repre 
sentative  a  longer  lease  of  rule,  his  time 
having  drawn  to  a  close.  The  Baal-Shern 
being  the  spiritual  sovereign  of  this  lower 
world,  the  matter  had  been  referred  to  him 
for  final  action.  Had  the  cruel  Nicholas 
been  a  friend  of  the  Jews,  Reb  Aarele  would 
have  inclined  the  balance  in  his  favor.  As 
the  Czar  deserved  no  consideration,  he  re 
ceived  none.  The  Baal-  Shem  would  not  grant 
him  another  day,  and  His  Majesty  left  the 
bedroom,  crying  :  "  I  am  lost,  all  is  lost !" 

In  a  few  days  it  was  learned  that  the 
Czar  was  dead.  The  Baal-Shem  made  little 


THE   BAAL-SHEM    AND    HIS    GOLEM       139 

ado  about  the  matter.  He  did  not  like 
Nicholas,  that  was  all.  Concerns  of  greater 
moment  engaged  his  attention. 

Such  trifles  as  restoring  the  sick  to  health, 
the  blind  to  sight,  or  publishing  the  un 
holy  musings  of  one's  heart,  or  causing  a 
flood  of  radiance  to  illumine  his  own  coun 
tenance,  were  but  incidental  happenings  in 
the  career  of  the  man  who  held  the  des 
tinies  of  constellations  in  his  hands. 

"The  Messiah,"  the  inspired  Zaddik  ex 
claimed  one  day,  "the  Messiah!  I  can  order 
the  true  son  of  David  to  blow  the  trumpet 
of  resurrection  to-morrow,  but  are  you  ready 
to  receive  him  with  the  period  of  horrors 
to  follow  the  trump  of  doom  ?  Say  that  you 
are  prepared,  and  the  dead  rise  to-morrow." 

This  positive  statement  spread  consterna 
tion  among  the  Chassidim,  who  shuddered 
at  the  prospect  of  seeing  all  the  graveyards 
give  up  their  tenants  on  the  universal  Day 
of  Judgment.  Was  it  not  a  wiser  course  to 
let  a  later  generation  grapple  with  the  dismal 
incidents  foretold  in  connection  with  the  ad 
vent  of  the  Messiah  ?  The  Baal-Shem  was 


140  IN   THE    PALE 

accordingly  petitioned  to  postpone  his  com 
ing,  and  the  prayer  was  graciously  granted. 
In  his  Kabbalistic  discourses  the  Baal- 
Shem  spoke  of  things  in  the  heavens  with  a 
positiveness  that  proved  his  thorough 
knowledge  of  every  star  in  infinite  space. 
The  all-revealing  Kabbala  was  his  key  to 
the  mysteries  of  the  Universe.  His  touch 
consecrated  food  and  drink.  The  dishes  he 
tasted  of  were  considered  holy,  and  dis 
tributed  in  small  portions  to  the  faithful 
throngs  around  him.  For  whatever  the 
Baal  -  Shem  touched  had  healing  virtue. 
The  fact  is,  that  down  to  this  day  the 
Karolin  Chassidim  are  known  as  a  contented, 
yea,  happy,  jolly,  and  humorous  sect,  doing 
with  scrupulous  fidelity  whatever  their  chief 
does.  As  he  eats,  they  eat ;  as  he  walks, 
they  walk  ;  as  he  talks  and  prays,  they  talk 
and  pray.  Praying  is  the  great  business  of 
their  life,  and  their  orisons  are  offered  up  in 
a  voice  of  thunder,  accompanied  by  violent 
contortion  and  shaking  of  the  body  ;  for  soul 
and  body  must  unite  in  ecstatic  worship  of 
the  Mysterious  Supreme  Being. 


THE   BAAL-SHEM   AND   HIS    GOLEM       141 

There  are  two  causes  why  they  pray  loud, 
very  loud :  one  is  to  bar  out  extraneous 
thoughts  from  the  holy  of  holies,  the  human 
heart ;  the  other  is  to  confuse  Satan  the 
Beast  and  Lilith  the  Harlot,  ever  on  the 
alert  to  intercept,  with  their  devilish 
machinations,  prayerful  souls  soaring- 
heavenward.  The  ecstasy  of  the  Chassidim 
reaches  its  climax  when  the  Unity  of  the 
Most  Holy  One  is  proclaimed.  The  recita 
tion  of  "  Our  Lord  is  One"  is  followed  by 
delirious  rapture.  The  worshipper  is  over 
come  by  the  beatific  consciousness  that  man 
is  the  image  of  God,  and  is  destined  to 
rejoin  the  Blessed  One  whom  the  heaven 
of  heavens  cannot  contain. 

Early  bathing  is  one  of  the  earnest  pre 
liminaries  of  worship.  Worldly  concerns 
are  held  unworthy  of  more  than  passing 
consideration.  The  sublime  task  of  this 
life  is  to  prepare  for  a  blessed  eternity  to  be 
spent  among  the  stars,  where  kingdoms  un 
fading  are  reserved  for  the  purified  soul. 
Man  being  an  epitome  of  the  Universe,  his 
soul  is  as  much  greater  than  his  body  as 


142  IN   THE   PALE 

the  spaces  of  infinity  are  vaster  than  the 
mass  of  the  earth.  The  dangers  which  be 
set  the  image  of  God  here  below  are  Satan 
and  Lilith,  typifying  temptation  and 
worldly  pleasure.  Satan  and  Lilith  control 
the  realms  of  darkness,  and  are  ever  at  work 
to  entice  souls  from  the  realms  of  light. 
Numberless  are  the  evil  spirits  under  the 
absolute  command  of  those  powers  of  sin 
and  vice.  Salvation  is  to  be  found  in  medi 
tation  and  prayer  and  in  the  effacement  of 
self  before  the  Presence  Divine,  which  fills 
infinite  space  with  glory.  Life  is  a  shadow. 
The  body  is  nothing,  the  soul  everything; 
the  less  there  is  of  earth,  the  more  of  heaven. 
Such  is  the  motto  lived  up  to  in  all  its  logi 
cal  consequences. 

From  this  it  may  readily  be  inferred  that 
the  faithful  of  the  sect  count  on  much  more 
treasure  in  the  other  world  than  they  possess, 
or  care  to  possess,  here  below.  As  a  rule, 
they  are  both  unpractical  and  poor,  but  their 
wives  are  of  the  Deborah  type  in  activity  and 
economy.  Thine  and  mine,  moreover,  are  not 
known  in  the  social  intercourse  of  the 


THE   BAAL-SHEM   AND    HIS    GOLEM       143 

brotherhood,  the  idea  of  property  being  con 
trary  to  their  self-sacrificing  doctrine.  One 
of  them  may  enter  the  humble  home  of  a 
brother,  take  his  seat  at  the  table  uninvited, 
and  be  served  as  one  of  the  family,  as  a  mat 
ter  of  course. 

The  approach  of  the  Sabbath  causes  every 
one  of  the  mystics  to  go  through  a  course 
of  most  scrupulous  preparations  to  receive 
the  descending  over-soul,  which  enhances 
the  blessedness  of  the  divinely  ordained  holy 
day.  The  three  feasts  of  the  Sabbath  are 
made  as  royal  as  means  permit.  Devotion 
is  intensified  ;  the  house  of  worship  rings 
with  the  ecstatic  roar  of  a  rapturous  gath 
ering,  the  Baal-Shem  leading  with  holy 
fury,  as  though  the  battlements  of  heaven 
were  endangered  by  the  cohorts  of  Satan. 
Each  meal  is  consecrated  by  hymnal  song 
and  discourse  on  holy  things.  The  rest  of 
the  day  is  spent  in  a  hall,  and  the  Baal- 
Shem,  his  eyes  closed  and  his  features  beam 
ing  with  ineffable  felicity,  tells  his  votaries 
of  things  in  the  heavens  above,  on  the  earth 
beneath,  and  in  the  waters  under  the  earth. 


144  IN    THE   PALE 

In  every  face  the  spiritual  delight  of  the 
chief  is  reflected.  This  Kabbalistic  Nir 
vana  often  ends  with  a  hymn  and  an  in 
formal  dance  in  praise  of  God  and  His 
countless  hosts  of  cherubim  and  seraphim, 
who  are  eternally  circling  around  the 
Throne  of  Glory,  the  star-outshining  Mcrcha- 
bah  above  the  seventh  heaven.  Such  is  the 
ideal  of  the  Karolin  Chassidim. 

Now,  in  view  of  the  Russian  attitude  to 
wards  idealism  and  metaphysics  in  general, 
and  the  transcendental  Kabbala  in  particular, 
it  stands  to  reason  that  a  sect  of  the  calibre 
of  the  Karolin  Chassidim  is  not  what  the 
average  Russian  is  prepared  to  admire.  In 
deed,  if  the  truth  must  be  told,  men  of  weak 
nerves  deem  it  prudent  to  keep  aloof  from 
the  lively  brotherhood,  a  combination  of  the 
ancient  Essenes  and  the  modern  Dervishes. 
True,  no  danger  for  the  Czar  lurks  in  the 
antics  of  the  Karolin  Chassidim.  No  spies 
need  be  employed  to  discover  their  where 
abouts.  Their  teachings  of  mundane  nihil 
ism,  of  scorn  for  things  earthly,  cannot  affect 
the  patriotic  fire  of  the  Czar's  most  devoted 


THE   BAAL-SHEM    AND    HIS    GOLEM       145 

subjects.  But  how  myriads  of  sane  creatures 
can  cultivate  so  unsubstantial  a  thing  as 
Kabbala,  a  thing  so  much  less  tangible  and 
enjoyable  than  vodka  and  caviar,  must  needs 
pass  the  understanding  of  a  Russian  magis 
trate,  especially  when  his  nervous  system  is 
somewhat  unstrung. 

Such  was,  some  fifty  odd  years  ago,  the 
case  with  Payutin,  the  new  magistrate  of 
the  town  of  Karolin.  Payutin  had  never  be 
fore  settling  in  Karolin  seen  a  Jew,  and  what 
he  had  heard  was  not  calculated  to  inspire 
him  with  admiration  for  the  race.  Of  course, 
his  conclusion  was  that  all  Jews  were  like 
the  Karolin  Chassidim,  and  he  could  not  suffi 
ciently  admire  the  wisdom  of  His  Majesty, 
the  Czar,  who  kept  the  great  cities  of  holy 
Russia  clear  of  the  pestilent  fanatics.  "The 
Jews  are  lunatics,  and  I  am  going  to  teach 
them  a  lesson,"  cried  the  judicial  head  of  the 
district,  shortly  after  his  arrival  to  fill  his 
important  office. 

Payutin  was  entirely  too  good  a  Christian 
of  the  orthodox  type  to  love  Hebrews  at 
best.  To  be  of  the  same  persuasion  with 

10 


146  IN   THE    PALE 

the  Emperor  appeared  to  him  the  most 
judicious  policy.  Their  Semitic  welcome, 
extended  to  him  in  the  shape  of  a  purse — 
the  offering  usually  made  to  secure  the 
good-will  of  a  tchinovnik — caused  him  to  sup 
press  his  aversion  for  a  moment,  but  only 
for  a  moment. 

Payutin's  antipathy  to  the  Judaic  popula 
tion  of  Karolin  was  incorporated  in  a  living 
being,  which  the  Chassidim,  for  valid 
reasons,  looked  upon  with  dread  as  the  per 
sonification  of  Satan  the  Beast.  This  was 
Graff,  his  English  bull-dog,  a  Cerberus  in 
bulk  and  ferocity.  Graff  furnished  the  Baal- 
Shem  with  a  lofty  theme  for  a  profound  dis 
course,  in  which  he  set  forth  the  diabolical 
tricks  of  Satan  and  Lilith,  who  enter  brute 
bodies,  like  those  of  serpents  and  dogs,  to 
do  injury  to  the  tabernacle  of  the  heaven- 
aspiring  soul.  Graff's  appearance  in  the 
street  was  the  signal  for  the  Jews  of  Karolin 
to  take  to  their  heels  and  seek  safety  behind 
closed  doors.  True,  the  brute  did  not  bite, 
but  it  did  the  next  vicious  thing.  It  threw 
itself  against  every  Jew  or  Jewess  it 


THE   BAAL-SHEM   AND    HIS    GOLEM       147 

chanced  to  light  upon  with  a  vehemence 
that  hurled  the  ill-fated  victim  head  over 
heels  into  a  ditch  or  a  puddle;  or  it  sent  two 
passers-by  at  once  sprawling  against  a 
wall,  or  against  a  group  of  persons,  who 
rolled  over  pell-mell  to  the  merriment  of 
the  spiteful  magistrate.  Redress  for  fright, 
injury,  soiled  clothes,  or  indignity,  was  out 
of  the  question.  Payutin  was  himself  the 
judge  to  whom  the  appeal  would  have  had 
to  be  made.  To  poison  the  dog  would  have 
been  the  simplest  remedy,  but  Graff  gave 
no  Israelite  time  to  offer  him  a  delicacy. 

The  only  outlook  for  relief  from  vexation 
was  granted  by  the  magistrate's  ill  health. 
It  was  hoped  that  the  man  would  either  go 
the  way  of  all  flesh,  or  be  converted  to  the 
belief  that  Reb  Aarele  could  do  for  him 
what  no  other  physician  thus  far  had  suc 
ceeded  in  doing.  In  other  words,  it  was  not 
thought  impossible  that  Payutin  might  learn 
to  worship  the  Baal-Shem.  Unfortunately, 
the  magistrate's  curiosity  tempted  him  into 
the  sanctuary  of  the  Chassidim  at  a  moment 
when  the  whole  congregation  was  roaring  in 


148  IN   THE   PALE 

a  delirium  of  devotion,  as  it  were.  Payutin 
was  shocked.  The  scene  of  confusion  and 
the  noise  haunted  him  thereafter  like  a 
nightmare.  The  magistrate  was  convinced 
that  the  Jews  were  mad.  He  felt  it  his  duty, 
as  the  Czar's  interpreter  of  the  law,  to  do 
something,  and  he  began  to  make  up  his 
mind.  But  who  could  hide  his  thoughts 
from  an  all-knowing  Baal-Shem  ? 

Once  more  the  purse  was  resorted  to. 
Payutin  was  gracious  enough  to  accept  a 
liberal  gift,  but  asked  in  return  that  the 
holy  vociferations  of  the  enthusiastic  fol 
lowers  of  the  Baal-Shem  be  reduced  by  at 
least  seventy-five  per  cent ;  otherwise,  he 
assured  the  delegation,  his  weak  nerves 
would  force  him  to  quit  the  city.  The 
Chassidim  understood  the  hint,  and  reported 
the  result  of  their  mission  to  their  chief, 
who  shrugged  his  shoulders,  as  if  to  say : 
We  are  going  to  have  it  our  own  way  all  the 
same. 

The  Mayor  of  Karelin  was  a  Russian  of 
pacific  temper  and  somewhat  diluted  ortho 
doxy,  diluted  by  the  liquors  which  Cha- 


THE   BAAL-SHEM   AND   HIS    GOLEM       149 

minsky,  the  Jewish  liquor  dealer,  one  of  the 
Baal-Shem's  unswerving  followers,  cheer 
fully  supplied.  Pozanow — such  was  the 
name  of  the  official  head  of  Karolin — occu 
pied  a  commodious  residence,  wherein  the 
loveliest  object  was  his  only  child,  a  maiden 
of  nineteen  summers,  beautiful,  all  agreed, 
and  of  piety  rare  even  among  the  most  rigid 
Catholics.  If  she  stood  not  before  the 
mirror,  she  was  sure  to  be  found  kneeling 
before  the  sacred  icons,  praying  and  con 
fessing  her  frailties,  though  everybody  that 
knew  her  was  ready  to  swear  to  her  im 
maculate  innocence.  Among  her  friends 
she  was  spoken  of  as  the  "saintly  Tilka." 
Who  would  have  thought  that  Tilka  was 
praying  for  the  conversion  of  the  Jews  ? 
Yes,  like  Isabella,  the  Catholic,  Tilka  prayed 
that  the  Jews  might  turn  Christians,  and,  as 
her  petition  continued  unrealized,  she  hated 
them  with  all  her  heart. 

Madam  Pozanow  had  her  own  good  rea 
sons  for  sharing  her  daughter's  sentiments ; 
but  the  Mayor,  remembering  his  obligation 
to  Chaminsky,  treated  the  matter  lightly. 


150  IN   THE    PALE 

"  The  Jews  are  the  property  of  the  Czar. 
What  right  have  I  to  convert  His  Majesty's 
goods  into  anything  else  than  they  were 
when  he  entrusted  them  to  my  care?" 
argued  he,  and  continued  passive. 

With  the  arrival  of  Payutin,  however, 
matters  assumed  a  different  aspect.  As 
was  to  be  expected,  the  magistrate  being 
single  and  Tilka  an  enchanting  maiden,  the 
relation  between  the  judge  and  the  girl 
ere  long  passed  into  a  most  interesting 
phase.  Acquaintance  ripened  into  friend 
ship,  and  friendship  culminated  in  pas 
sionate  love,  to  the  great  delight  of  the 
Pozanows  and  all  the  friends  of  the  saintly 
Tilka.  The  only  heart  that  throbbed  against 
the  happy  alliance  was  the  omniscient  Baal- 
Shem's.  With  true  prophetic  spirit,  he 
recognized  another  of  Satan's  and  Lilith's 
tricks,  and  foresaw  evil  things  to  spring  from 
the  union. 

Tilka's  hatred  of  the  Jews  seemed  to 
grow  with  her  love  for  the  magistrate.  She 
would  actually  spit  at  the  sight  of  a  long- 
bearded  descendant  of  Judah,  however  ven- 


THE   BAAL-SHEM   AND    HIS    GOLEM       151 

erable  his  looks.  It  was  not  piety  alone  that 
drove  her  to  the  extreme  of  aversion.  The 
poor  girl  reasoned  that  if  the  Jews  furnished 
no  vodka,  her  father  would  not  be  so  beastly 
drunk  as  he  often  was.  She  could  not  see  it 
in  any  other  light,  and  her  soul  yearned  for 
vengeance. 

This  combination  of  hostile  forces  against 
the  mystic  denizens  of  Karolin  was  greatly 
strengthened  by  the  moral  encouragement  of 
Father  Shapirow,  no  less  a  personage  than 
the  local  dignitary  of  the  Church.  The 
learned  theologian  could  not  solve  the  puz 
zle  why  there  should  be  such  undesirable 
things  as  Jews,  and  failed  to  understand  why 
a  good  Christian  should  miss  a  chance  to 
play  them  an  evil  turn. 

Father  Shapirow's  antagonism  to  the  Jews 
had  a  painful  motive.  It  was  not  wholly 
religious  ardor,  but  something  more  tangi 
ble  ;  it  was  his  nose,  yea,  his  awfully  Jewish 
proboscis,  shining  like  old  Jerusalem  in  her 
glory,  in  the  centre  of  a  visage  of  burnished 
copper,  broad  and  oily,  set  in  a  frame  of  jet- 
black  hair,  which  descended  to  a  pointed 


152  IN   THE   PALE 

beard,  reminding  one  of  a  fat  billy-goat's. 
Shapirow  inherited  his  cast  of  countenance 
from  his  father,  an  apostate  Jew,  who  in  his 
time  had  done  his  share  in  maligning  the 
race  he  had  deserted.  Shapirow  had  dark 
reminiscences  to  draw  upon  for  bitter  con 
templation.  His  parents  had  lived  sepa 
rated,  he  having  been  torn  from  the  breast 
of  his  mother,  who  would  not  follow  her 
husband's  example  even  after  the  child 
had  been  taken  from  her,  the  Russian  law 
giving  an  apostate  power  over  his  children. 
Shapirow's  appearance  in  the  canonicals  of 
the  orthodox  Church  brought  home  the 
ludicrous  paradox  of  the  Mishna's  being 
employed  to  sustain  the  miracles  of  the 
Gospels.  His  solemn  march  to  church  on 
Sundays  aroused  the  humor  of  the  Jewish 
element.  The  mortification  he  endured 
was  too  great  a  "tax  upon  his  patience 
and  humility.  He  awaited  his  opportunity 
to  be  avenged,  and  it  came  with  the  engage 
ment  of  the  pious  Tilka  to  the  determined 
magistrate. 

Over    a    score    of    years   had    the   cleric 


THE   BAAL-SHEM    AND    HIS    GOLEM       153 

fed  the  spiritual  hunger  of  the  Pozanows. 
He  had  poured  the  baptismal  water  on 
Tilka's  baby  head,  had  been  ever  welcome 
at  the  hearth  of  the  orthodox  family,  and 
had  had  the  gratification  of  seeing  the 
youngest  soul  of  his  charge  evolve  remark 
able  affinity  with  him,  at  least  as  regarded 
hatred  of  the  Jews.  But  for  Chaminsky's 
power  over  the  Mayor,  the  priest  would 
have  turned  his  mind,  too,  against  the  Chas- 
sidim.  As  matters  had  stood,  he  had  had 
to  bide  his  time,  but  now  his  chance  was 
come ;  the  magistrate  was  to  be  his  instru 
ment  of  vengeance. 

Thus,  with  Tilka's  power  over  Payutin's 
heart  and  with  Shapirow  as  the  inspiring 
genius,  it  is  not  surprising  that  a  scheme  was 
matured  calculated  to  make  the  Chassidim 
feel  that  it  was  not  good  for  man  to  be  a 
Jew  and  a  mystic  at  that.  As  to  Pozanow's 
conscience — the  Mayor  was  suspected  of 
cherishing  a  faint  sense  of  duty — it  was 
appeased  by  Father  Shapirow's  spiritual 
encouragement.  He  argued  eloquently  that 
the  descendants  of  those  who  had  slain  the 


154  IN   THE   PALE 

son  of  God  had  no  claim  whatsoever  on  the 
consideration  of  a  good  Christian.  More 
over,  why  should  the  Jews  dream  of  turning 
Christians,  as  long  as  they  were  treated  as 
though  they  belonged  to  the  national 
Church  ?  Was  it  not  a  personal  affront  to 
the  Czar  that  there  should  be  infidels  among 
his  subjects?  Whoever  rejects  the  Messiah, 
must  be  rejected. 

The  logic  of  this  argument  was  strength 
ened  by  a  barrel  of  whiskey  which,  by  the 
order  of  Payutin,  had  been  lowered  into  the 
cellar  of  his  prospective  father-in-law.  This 
made  the  Mayor  happy  and  independent  of 
Chaminsky,  the  liquor  dealer.  Having  thus 
fortified  himself  against  all  intervention, 
Payutin  caused  the  Mayor's  secretary  to 
issue  a  strict  order  to  the  Chassidim  and 
their  chief,  that  no  Hebrew  dare  hereafter 
worship  in  a  voice  above  a  whisper,  or  cause 
any  disturbance,  lest  the  fire-brigade  mis 
take  the  noise,  and  bring  forth  the  engines, 
in  which  case  the  Jews  would  be  open  to  a 
charge  of  disorderly  conduct,  and  would  be 
held  responsible  for  the  expense  the  mis- 


THE   BAAL-SHEM   AND    HIS    GOLEM       155 

understanding  involved.  This  meant  money 
for  the  conspirators  and  intolerable  silence 
for  the  worshippers.  How  could  such  a 
state  of  things  continue  ? 

When  the  Pharaonic  edict  had  been  ren 
dered  into  the  sacred  tongue,  and  was 
handed  the  Baal-Shem — for  no  genuine 
Baal-Shem  would  lisp  a  syllable  in  an  un 
holy  language — he  fixed  his  pensive  eye  on 
the  fatal  document,  and  continued  for  a  full 
hour  as  one  in  a  trance,  the  Chassidim 
anxiously  watching  his  vacant  countenance 
in  the  hope  of  discerning  something  therein 
that  might  indicate  a  miracle.  There  was 
an  intuitive  feeling  that,  though  his  body 
was  here,  his  soul  was  in  consultation  with 
potent  spirits  in  another  world  as  to  the 
best  course  to  be  pursued  in  the  emer 
gency.  Suddenly  there  was  animation  in 
his  face.  He  rose  to  his  feet,  and  passed 
his  hand  across  his  eyes,  whispering  a 
few  words  of  Holy  Writ,  which  enjoined 
the  obligation  of  sacrificing  life  to  prin 
ciple.  This  sounded  natural  enough,  the 
concerns  of  the  soul  admittedly  being 


156  IN   THE   PALE 

superior  to  those  of  the  body.  It  was  evi 
dent  that  the  Baal-Shem  had  concluded  to 
treat  the  Mayor's  manifesto  with  contempt, 
and  the  faithful  derived  courage  and  inspi 
ration  from  the  conviction  that  he  had  un 
earthly  powers  to  back  him.  "  There  shall 
be  glorious  worship  of  the  King  of  kings 
hereafter,  as  hitherto !"  exclaimed  he  in 
a  voice  that  shook  the  building.  This 
meant  defeat  and  confusion  to  the  enemy. 

The  succeeding  Sabbath  found  the  Chas- 
sidim  prepared  to  bid  defiance  to  Satan  the 
Beast  and  Lilith  the  Harlot,  who,  the 
Baal-Shem  hinted,  were  animating  the 
bodies  of  Payutin  and  Tilka.  Rebellion 
was  what  the  evil-planning  magistrate  had 
counted  on,  and  he  took  measures  to 
meet  the  exigency,  acting,  as  he  was,  in 
place  of  the  Mayor.  While  the  daunt 
less  Chassidim  were  lost  in  rapturous 
vociferation,  led  on  by  their  sky-storming 
chief,  whose  voice  rang  out  like  rattling 
thunder,  streams  of  water  came  bursting 
through  the  windows  of  the  sacred  place, 
shattering  the  glass  and  turning  the  house 


THE   BAAL-SHEM   AND    HIS    GOLEM       157 

into  a  lagoon  of  mud  and  mire.  And  when 
the  bulk  of  the  congregation  made  a  rush 
for  dry  land,  the  fire  brigade  without  re 
ceived  them  with  volumes  of  the  thin  fluid 
and  with  shouts  of  laughter,  intermingled 
with  jeers  and  sneers  and  huzzahs  of  derision. 
Neither  did  Graff  fail  to  contribute  his  share 
to  the  enlivenment  of  the  scene.  The  water 
and  the  ferocious  brute  endowed  the  fright 
ened  mystics  with  wings.  The  Baal-Shem 
was  hurried  off  to  a  dry  place.  Nobody  was 
hurt,  but  all  were  badly  frightened,  and  had 
had  their  best  garments  soiled,  besides 
being  wet  to  the  skin.  Such  an  outrage 
cried  to  heaven  for  redress.  The  Baal-Shem 
looked  daggers,  breathed  vengeance,  and 
his  followers  knew  that  he  would  not  allow 
the  indignity  to  pass  unrevenged. 

That  afternoon  the  Baal-Shem  revealed 
no  mysteries  among  the  stars  to  his  votaries. 
His  faithful  followers  rehearsed  the  experi 
ence  of  the  morning,  and  hung  upon  his  lips 
to  gather  from  them  some  hint  as  to  the 
punishment  in  store  for  the  adversary. 
There  was  some  consolation  in  the  con- 


158  IN   THE   PALE 

sciousness  of  having  suffered  for  the  sake 
of  a  dear  and  holy  cause.  Was  not  Israel 
the  martyr  of  the  world  ?  Nevertheless,  the 
Baal-Shem  intimated  clearly  enough  that 
patience  had  ceased  to  be  a  virtue,  and  went 
so  far  as  to  assure  those  in  attendance  that 
before  the  new  moon  appeared  in  the  skies, 
they  should  once  more  and  forever  be  free 
to  pray  at  the  top  of  their  voices. 

"The  powers  of  the  invisible  spheres  will 
assist  me  in  annihilating  those  vicious  in 
struments  of  Satan  the  Beast  and  Lilith 
the  Harlot.  Send  me  Pulasky,  the  smith, 
whom  I  shall  charge  to  create  for  me  a 
thing  unseen  hitherto  and  unheard  of," 
cried  Reb  Aarele,  glowing  like  Mars  in 
anger. 

Herewith  the  Baal-Shem  withdrew,  warn 
ing  those  present  that  nobody,  except  Pul 
asky,  dare  approach  him  for  twelve  days. 

The  impending  doom  of  the  foe  having 
thus  been  foretold,  the  Chassidim  doubted 
not  that  the  infliction  was  going  to  be  dealt 
by  superhuman  hands. 

With  nightfall   the    Baal-Shem    received 


THE   BAAL-SHEM    AND    HIS    GOLEM       159 

Pulasky  in  his  subterranean  library.  Here 
piles  of  manuscript  were  heaped  on  shelves, 
works  of  hoary  ages,  among  them  the  "  Book 
of  Creation,"  which  God  handed  to  Adam 
in  Paradise,  and  the  "  Zohar,"  the  "  Light " 
of  the  mystic  Universe,  containing  startling 
revelations  for  him  who  can  fathom  its  un 
explored  depths.  In  mute  submissiveness 
stood  the  master  mechanic  before  the  wonder- 
doing  Baal-Shem,  who  addressed  him  thus  : 
"  Thou,  Pulasky,  the  smith,  art  the  image 
of  the  Most  High,  and  I,  Reb  Aarele  Baal- 
Shem,  who  hold  rank  among  the  omnipotent 
powers  above,  do  herewith  invest  thee  with 
the  divine  skill  of  the  immortal  Beza- 
lel,  whose  wonderful  workmanship  adorned 
the  Holy  of  Holies.  Hear  me,  and  do  as 
thou  art  bidden.  I  must  have  a  terrific 
power  of  destruction,  a  Golem,  and  I  charge 
thee  to  call  it  into  existence.  Masters  in 
visible  are  placed  at  thy  command.  The 
hour  must  be  the  dead  of  night ;  the  condi 
tions,  utter  silence  and  solitude.  And  these 
shall  be  thy  preparations :  Bathe  thyself 
seven  times  in  running  water  with  Orion 


160  IN   THE   PALE 

and  the  Zodiac  shining  upon  thee.  Confess 
thy  sins  as  on  the  Day  of  Atonement. 
Then  read  these  seventy-seven  names 
of  powers  which  I  herewith  hand  thee. 
Read  them  in  a  whisper;  read  them  with 
awe.  Strange  shapes  will  emerge  from 
the  invisible  vast  to  do  as  thoti  wilt  com 
mand.  They  will  vanish  at  the  crowing  of 
the  cock,  but  the  thing  will  be  done.  Fear 
them  not;  they  have  no  power  over  thee; 
thou  hast  power  over  them.  Make  them 
forge  for  me  a  horror  of  black  iron.  It  shall 
be  as  awe-inspiring  as  Death,  as  terrible  as 
the  Plague,  gigantic  as  the  Anak  who  fol 
lowed  Noah's  Ark  through  the  waters  of  the 
deluge,  implacable  as  Satan  the  Beast  and 
Lilith  the  Harlot.  Hissing  serpents  shall  be 
its  hair ;  its  eyes  shall  glow  like  the  fire  of 
hell;  from  its  mouth  shall  shoot  forth  alive 
dragon  as  tongue  ;  its  claws  shall  be  like 
those  of  the  tiger,  and  its  tail  a  venomous 
hydra.  The  Golenis  hands  shall  reach  to  the 
soles  of  its  feet.  Dress  it  in  a  garb  of  feath 
ers  as  black  as  Abaddon.  It  shall  stride  forth 
with  wings  outspread,  shall  breathe  fire  and 


THE   BAAL-SHEM    AND    HIS    GOLEM       l6l 

vomit  flame  ;  a  hellish  roar  shall  issue  from 
its  throat ;  and  I  shall  cause  it  to  move  and 
act  as  a  power  possessed  of  reason  and  will." 

On  realizing  the  nature  of  his  task  and 
the  agents  to  be  employed  in  its  execution, 
Pulasky  felt  a  chill  run  through  his  blood ; 
but  the  order  was  given  in  so  peremptory  a 
tone  that  willing  compliance  seemed  the 
only  response  possible.  Being  one  of  the 
faithful,  Pulasky  had  no  doubt  as  to  the 
issue.  But  to  speak  of  spirits  is  one  thing, 
to  face  them  is  another.  However,  the 
smith  braced  his  nerves,  cast  a  glance  at  the 
scrap  of  paper  handed  him,  and  said  unquail- 
ingly:  "  It  shall  be  done."  The  Baal-Shem 
waved  his  hand  in  token  of  dismissal,  and 
the  interview  was  at  an  end. 

Pulasky  proceeded  to  carry  out  the  order 
to  the  letter,  confident  that  nothing  un 
toward  would  betide  him,  provided  the  con 
ditions  were  carefully  complied  with.  In  a 
brook  beyond  the  limits  of  the  town  the 
smith  bathed  himself  as  he  had  been  told. 
By  the  time  he  reached  his  house,  the  hour 
was  ripe  for  the  carrying  out  of  the  order. 


162  IN   THE   PALE 

He  entered  his  smithy,  barred  the  door  be 
hind  him,  took  a  long  breath,  struck  a  match, 
and,  by  the  gleam  of  a  flickering  taper  which 
he  had  lighted,  he  fixed  his  eyes  on  the 
seventy-seven  Kabbalistic  names  of  what  he 
felt  sure  must  be  angels.  Another  chill  ran 
over  his  shuddering  frame  at  the  thought 
that  unsealing  his  lips  meant  conjuring  up 
superhuman  agencies  to  execute  ghastly 
work.  But  Pulasky  was  a  man  of  stout 
heart  and  unbounded  faith.  Slowly,  deliber 
ately,  and  reverently  he  began  to  whisper 
one  name  after  the  other,  and,  lo  and  be 
hold!  The  space  around  him  widened  into  a 
hall  of  several  hundred  paces,  the  roof  .ris 
ing  in  proportion.  There  was  a  growing 
noise  as  of  rustling  wings.  Flitting  flames 
passed  through  the  air  and  circulated 
around  his  head.  When  the  last  name  wras 
read,  there  stood  before  him  seventy-seven 
genii,  with  hands  folded  and  heads  inclined. 

"Command,  master,  we  are  bound  to 
obey,"  was  the  unanimous  utterance  of  the 
willing  crew. 

Pulasky  sketched  the  Golem  they  were  re- 


THE   BAAL-SHEM    AND   HIS    GOLEM       163 

quired  to  fashion.  No  sooner  had  the  order 
been  given  than  seventy-seven  forges  burst 
forth  from  the  ground.  There  was  a  blow 
ing  of  bellows,  a  glowing  of  iron,  a  mighty 
forging  and  welding  of  metal,  and  a  skilful 
fashioning  of  limb  after  limb.  The  black 
prodigy  assumed  fearful  shape,  a  demoniac 
power  terrible  to  behold.  Without  fear 
Pulasky  watched  the  activity  of  the  phantom 
mechanics.  Suddenly  the  shrill  cry  of  the 
cock  transformed  the  whole  scene  into  one 
of  dim  narrowness  and  dead  silence.  The 
smithy  shrank  to  its  former  dimensions. 
Everything  vanished,  except  the  inanimate 
Golem,  seen  in  all  its  hideousness  by  the 
flicker  of  the  taper.  The  smith  took  a  good 
look  at  the  infernal  creation  as  it  sat 
huddled  in  a  corner,  its  prodigious  arms 
folded.  Then  he  closed  the  smithy,  and  re 
tired  to  rest.  The  next  day  he  reported  to 
the  Baal-Shem  :  "  It  is  done." 

Meantime  the  Chassidim  lived  in  ex 
ultant  anticipation  of  beholding  a  miracle 
as  great  as  any  ever  vouchsafed  unto  the 
mortal  race.  What  else  could  have  been 


164  IN   THE   PALE 

meant  by  the  thing  "  unseen  hitherto  and 
unheard  of,"  which  Pulasky  was  to  create  ? 
Every  eye  was  riveted  on  the  smith. 
Fame  is  one  of  the  airy  nothings  which 
the  humble  Vulcan  did  not  seek.  He  kept 
aloof  from  the  inquisitive  crowd,  would 
not  be  interviewed,  and  looked  mysterious, 
all  of  which  conspired  to  concentrate  the 
roused  curiosity  of  an  intensely  interested 
public  on  his  humble  person.  Many  ques 
tions  remained  unanswered.  Why  did  the 
Baal-Shem  retire  from  public  intercourse 
with  his  votaries  for  twelve  days?  And 
why  twelve?  If  it  had  been  seven,  the  num 
ber  is  sacred.  Why  twelve  ? 

A  faint  light  dawned  on  the  mystics 
when  it  became  known  that  on  the  twelfth 
day  from  the  memorable  Sabbath  the  wed 
ding  of  Tilka  to  the  magistrate  was  to 
be  solemnized.  This  information  reached 
them  in  the  form  of  another  order,  issued 
under  the  seal  of  the  Mayor,  forbidding  them 
to  appear  on  the  street  on  the  day  on  which 
the  saintly  maiden  was  to  be  married — an 
order  promulgated  to  please  the  bride. 


THE   BAAL-SHEM    AND    HIS   GOLEM       165 

At  the  same  time  Chaminsky  was  in 
structed  to  furnish  a  considerable  quantity 
of  wines  for  the  banquet  to  follow  the  nup 
tials.  He  accepted  the  commission,  pro 
vided  he  was  paid  for  his  liquors  in 
advance.  Being-  assured  that  the  amount 
would  be  handed  him  on  the  delivery  of  the 
goods,  he  appeared  with  the  order  filled, 
presented  the  bill,  and  received  payment  in 
full  at  the  hands  of  four  policemen,  who 
took  him  to  the  Mayor's  stable,  and  gave 
him  a  sound  flogging,  for  the  magistrate 
had  decided  that  Chaminsky's  conduct  was 
an  insult  to  the  official  head  of  Karolin. 

Such  was  the  climax  of  the  outrage  com 
mitted  on  the  Chassidim  in  the  person  of 
the  liquor  dealer.  This  happened  two  days 
before  the  wedding  of  the  Mayor's  daughter. 

That  the  mystics  were  in  a  fever  of  excite 
ment  at  the  sight  of  poor  Chaminsky,  and 
that  the  Baal-Shem  thought  himself  justi 
fied  in  starting  his  Golem  to  do  terrific  exe 
cution,  need  not  be  said.  There  was  enough 
pent-up  energy  in  the  sect  to  burst  the  barrel 
of  a  cannon.  The  trouble  was  that  Satan 


l66  IN   THE   PALE 

the  Beast  and  Lilith  the  Harlot  had  assumed 
forms  in  which  they  could  not  be  annihilated 
by  uproarious  prayer. 

Let  it  not  be  supposed  for  a  moment  that 
Payutin  succeeded  in  checking  the  burning 
ardor  of  the  Baal-Shem  and  his  followers 
to  the  extent  of  making  them  pray  in  a 
subdued  voice.  This  was  absolutely  im 
possible,  because  the  fiendish  legions  of 
the  dark  Prince,  left  unconfused  by  the 
Baal-Shem's  opposition,  would  have  upset 
the  spiritual  Universe.  To  prevent  so  fear 
ful  a  catastrophe,  those  that  had  cellars  un 
loaded  their  pious  souls  underground  in  as 
energetic  a  manner  as  was  compatible  with 
safety;  the  others  sought  their  opportunity 
in  the  neighboring  woods,  making  the  glens 
ring  with  sacred  invocations.  Terror  seized 
the  beasts  and  the  fowl  of  the  forest.  Even 
the  Russian  wolf — and  the  wolf  is  a  good 
Russian  in  more  than  one  sense — turned 
tail  and  fled,  astonished  at  the  chaos  of  yells, 
so  unlike  the  huzzahs  of  the  ordinary 
hunter.  Terror  seized  the  unsophisticated 
mujiks,  whose  ears  caught  the  pious  bellow- 


THE   BAAL-SHEM    AND    HIS    GOLEM        l6/ 

ings  of  the  faithful,  none  daring  to  penetrate 
the  sylvan  mystery.  In  the  eyes  of  the 
Chassidim  these  painful  circumstances  were 
invested  with  a  halo  of  historic  glory.  They 
reminded  them  of  the  stirring  Asmonean 
age,  when,  hunted  by  the  mercenaries  of 
Antiochus  Epiphanes,  the  Jews  turned  every 
cave  into  a  sanctuary. 

A  beautiful  morning  initiated  Tilka's 
wedding  day,  as  though  the  heavens  smiled 
on  the  union  of  the  magistrate  with  the 
most  orthodox  beauty  of  Karolin.  Early  in 
the  forenoon  the  bustle  of  many  servants 
about  the  Mayor's  residence,  the  floral  dec 
orations,  and  the  hoisted  flags,  indicated  the 
nature  of  the  approaching  event.  Flowers 
and  foliage  adorned  the  portals  of  the 
church.  On  the  main  street  the  sym 
pathetic  joy  of  many  of  the  towns-men  was 
manifested  by  fine  exhibitions  of  the 
florist's  art  in  their  windows.  As  the  day 
advanced,  and  the  arrangements  for  the 
ceremony  were  perfected,  an  air  of  solemn 
festivity  appeared  to  hover  over  all  the 
town,  except  the  unadorned  homes  of  the 


l68  IN   THE   PALE 

mystics,  who,  had  they  not  been  afraid, 
would  have  displayed  symbols  of  mourning. 
The  solemn  chiming  of  the  bells,  Father 
Shapirow's  majestic  march  to  the  church, 
and  a  line  of  carriages  headed  by  one  drawn 
by  two  beautifully  caparisoned  white  horses, 
all  pointed  to  the  same  event :  the  saintly 
Tilka  and  the  formidable  Payutin  were  on 
the  point  of  becoming  husband  and  wife. 

The  ceremony  is  over.  It  is  nightfall ;  it 
is  night.  The  non-Jewish  population  fills 
every  available  spot  around  the  Mayor's 
residence.  Carriage  after  carriage  draws 
up  before  the  festive  mansion,  unloading 
belated  guests,  largely  of  the  small  nobility 
from  neighboring  estates.  A  military 
guard  of  honor  surrounds  the  precincts  of 
the  brightly  illuminated  building.  Eating, 
drinking,  and  dancing  within ;  drinking, 
brawling,  and  rough  horse-play  without. 
In  the  Jewish  quarter  darkness  and  not  a 
sign  of  life.  Such  is  the  situation  when  the 
clock  strikes  eleven.  Are  they  around  the 
synagogue  all  asleep  ?  O,  no !  The  Baal- 
Shem  issues  from  his  library,  a  volume  of 


THE   BAAL-SHEM   AND    HIS    GOLEM       169 

mystic  lore  in  his  hand.  He  is  joined  by 
Pulasky,  who  shows  his  chief  into  the 
smithy.  They  stay  therein  a  few  minutes, 
return  quickly,  pass  like  phantoms,  and  dis 
appear  in  their  respective  houses,  as  though 
nothing  appalling  had  occurred. 

Useless  to  say  that  the  Golem  had  been 
despatched  on  its  bloody  way.  Its  mission 
was  that  of  the  destructive  power  that 
visited  every  first-born  in  ancient  Egypt. 
Unspeakable  was  the  horror  that  seized  the 
people  at  the  sight  of  the  fiendish  appari 
tion.  Those  that  moved  an  arm  to  make 
the  sign  of  the  cross  felt  their  blood  congeal 
in  their  veins.  A  pack  of  howling  dogs  sig 
nalized  the  approach  of  the  dreadful  demon. 
The  next  instant  Graff  shot  like  a  bomb 
from  the  Mayor's  window  clear  over  the 
heads  of  the  stupefied  throng,  yelped 
wildly,  rose  on  his  hind  legs,  snuffed  the 
air,  and  showed  symptoms  of  hydrophobia. 
He  was  answered  by  a  score  of  his  kind, 
whose  unearthly  howls  turned  the  street 
into  pandemonium.  The  frightened  brutes 
tried  to  hide  themselves  behind  the  mass  of 


170  IN   THE   PALE 

terrified  men  and  women.  The  Gorgon 
emerged  from  a  by-way,  strode  forth 
leisurely,  its  pennons  flapping  like  black 
sails  against  its  gruesome  bulk,  and  turned 
into  the  highway  leading  to  its  destination. 
It  moved  on  slowly,  its  fiery  eyes  rolling, 
its  dragon  tongue  wagging,  the  snakes  on 
its  head  hissing,  the  hydra-tail  waving  to 
and  fro,  and  its  hellish  throat  bellowing 
forth  such  a  confusion  of  noise  as  would 
have  appalled  a  herd  of  walruses.  As  if 
turned  into  stone,  the  military  guard 
moved  no  arm  to  intercept  the  approach 
ing  demon.  It  would  have  been  a  vain 
attempt.  Gates  and  bolts  yielded  like 
burned  straw  before  the  .presence  of  a 
horror  personifying  a  hell  of  hideous  things. 
Its  dark  volume  swallowed  light,  and  the 
Egyptian  darkness  gave  it  grim  prominence. 
Toward  the  Mayor's  residence  the  Golem 
advanced,  rending  the  air  with  infernal 
notes ;  therein  it  disappeared.  A  minute's 
dreadful  silence  was  broken  by  a  tremen 
dous  explosion,  like  the  eruption  of  a 
volcano.  Showers  of  flying  debris  filled 


THE  BAAL-SHEM  AND  HIS  GOLEM   i;i 

the  neighborhood,  hurting  hundreds  of 
people,  who  fell  prostrate  to  save  their  lives. 
The  convulsion  was  followed  by  an  outburst 
of  fire  and  the  total  annihilation  of  the 
festive  dwelling  and  all  therein.  As  if  to 
complete  the  desolation,  a  thunder-storm 
broke  over  the  city,  giving  the  ruins  an  air 
of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. 

Not  a  Jewish  house  was  damaged  ;  not  a 
Jewish  body  hurt.  The  Baal-Shem  spent 
the  night  in  his  subterranean  library.  The 
following  Sabbath  Reb  Aarele  and  his  fol 
lowers  were  early  in  their  place  of  worship 
to  give  vent  to  their  joy  over  the  signal  de 
feat  of  Satan  the  Beast  and  Lilith  the 
Harlot.  The  Baal-Shem  smiled  when  he 
was  told,  that  the  official  version  of  the 
Golem  s  work  proclaimed,  that  "  the  accident 
was  caused  by  a  red  bolt  of  lightning, 
which  killed  the  people  and  destroyed  the 
building." 


FRIENDS    IN    LIFE   AND  IN   DEATH 

DAVID  and  Jonathan  were  cousins,  the 
first-born  children  of  two  sisters,  and 
they  loved  each  other  tenderly.  It  was  a 
curious  coincidence  that  physically  as  well 
as  psychologically  the  boys  held  out  promise 
of  conforming-  in  a  remarkable  degree  to 
the  two  heroic  types  represented  by  their 
biblical  namesakes.  Red-cheeked,  strong- 
boned,  short-limbed,  quick-witted,  impene 
trable,  daring,  and  cunning,  David  had 
acquired  renown  among  the  youths  of  his 
native  place  as  an  adversary  to  be  shunned. 
In  each  of  his  frequent  encounters  with  un 
friendly  schoolmates — and  he  was  fond  of 
provoking  quarrels — he  displayed  new  tac 
tics,  ever  retaining  the  field,  though  always 
outnumbered  by  his  enemies.  The  lad 
gloried  in  mischief.  There  was  not  an 
orchard  in  Choinick,  a  small  town  in  the 
province  of  Minsk,  in  which  he  was  not 
familiar  with  every  fruit-bearing  tree. 
(172) 


FRIENDS   IN   LIFE   AND   IN   DEATH        173 

If  David  planned  a  raid,  success  was  a 
foregone  conclusion.  Everybody  knew  that 
he  had  been  there,  but  it  was  hard  to 
catch  him,  and  well  nigh  impossible  to 
prove  him  the  plunderer.  Many  a  time  he 
abstracted  from  some  neighbor's  oven  the 
Kugel,  that  is,  a  most  savory  pudding  which 
forms  part  of  the  historic  Shale t — a  combi 
nation  of  many  dishes  stored  in  one  capa 
cious  reservoir  and  sealed  up  for  the  Sab 
bath  dinner — and  substituted  therefor  a  ves 
sel  filled  with  potato  parings,  or  something 
less  odorous.  There  was  a  little  anger  and 
much  laughter,  and  the  matter  was  ended, 
until  another  Kugel  disappeared.  Serio- 
comical  roguishness  distinguished  the  clan 
destine  expeditions  of  the  lad,  calling 
forth  merriment  as  often  as  a  new  depre 
dation  was  added  to  his  account.  His  repu 
tation  for  courage  can  be  judged  from  the 
suspicion  that  he  was  the  author  of  the 
mischief  done  in  the  sanctum  of  Yente 
the  Knowing. 

Yente  was  a  woman  of  uncounted  years 
and  of  unfathomed  knowledge  in  the  occult 


174  IN   THE   PALE 

lore  of  the  healing  science.  She  cured  the 
incurable.  Malicious  gossip  associated  her 
with  the  Evil  One,  an  assumption  somewhat 
sustained  by  her  chronically  red  eye-balls 
and  her  demonstrated  power  to  counteract 
effectively  the  baneful  afflictions  caused  by 
the  evil  eye.  The  withering  shafts  of  the 
evil  eye  are  dreaded  by  Jews  and  non-Jews, 
wherever  the  sane  influence  of  the  school 
master  is  not  felt,  and  Guttenberg's  necro 
mancy  has  not  been  invoked  to  tear  the 
mental  cloud  woven  of  ignorance  and  super 
stition.  It  has  been  found  that  flourishing 
youth  and  sweet  infancy  are  especially  liable 
to  be  stricken  by  the  evil  eye,  which  is 
followed  by  a  sickness  characterized  by  ner 
vous  prostration  and  intermittent  fever. 
Yente  restored  the  victim  by  whispering 
over  some  article  of  his  wear,  and  relief 
was  instantaneous.  She  also  asserted 
that  she  knew  the  latent  virtues  of  many 
herbs  and  blossoms,  which  she  gathered  in 
due  season,  and  labeled  her  "  mystic  teas." 
Of  these  she  dispensed  freely  to  the  poor, 
but  she  charged  handsomely  when  they  were 


FRIENDS   IN   LIFE    AND   IN   DEATH        175 

in  demand  among  the  wealthier  of  her 
patrons.  In  every  case  the  result  was  won 
derful. 

Yente's  forte,  however,  was  midwifery, 
a  specialty  which  opened  the  doors  of  non- 
Jewish  houses  to  her,  and  gave  her  influence 
among  the  local  officials.  As  to  her  power 
of  curing  the  endless  ills  and  woes  of  infants, 
that  was  simply  unsurpassed.  In  the  prov 
ince  in  which  she  lived,  she  could  well 
afford  to  laugh  all  competition  to  scorn.  In 
short,  Yente  was  the  recognized  authority 
in  domestic  remedies  among  the  Jews  and 
Christians  of  Choinick,  and  she  bore  herself 
with  the  lofty  dignity  of  self-conscious  im 
portance  natural  to  one  holding  so  exalted  a 
position. 

That  Yente  was  a  privileged  character 
among  the  living  was,  however,  less  remark 
able  than  her  apparent  familiarity  with  the 
dead,  of  whom  she  did  not  entertain  the 
least  fear.  For  not  alone  did  she  attend  to 
the  bathing  and  dressing  of  the  women  who 
died,  but  rumors  were  rife  that  she  had 
often  been  seen  at  midnight  in  the  grave- 


176  IN   THE   PALE 

yard  and  in  the  Shule.  The  Shule  is  the 
place  of  worship,  where  the  dead  are  sup 
posed  to  assemble  in  the  ghostly  hour  to 
pray  and  to  read  the  Sacred  Law.  When 
approached  in  reference  to  her  nocturnal 
roamings,  Yente  shook  her  head  dubiously, 
which  was  tantamount  to  an  affirmative 
answer.  The  woman  understood  how  to 
hide  her  thoughts,  and  thus  gave  her  deal 
ings  an  air  of  mystery. 

David,  whose  dare-devil  audacity  made 
all  things  possible,  was  credited  with  an 
offense  against  her  which  was  never  for 
gotten,  and  which  she  never  forgave. 
Yente's  habitation  was  a  cabin  built  of 
logs.  The  furniture  comprised  a  bed,  a 
tub  for  water,  a  bench,  and  a  table.  A 
hearth  of  pale  bricks  supplied  the  means 
for  heating  and  cooking,  while  a  crude  box 
nailed  to  the  wall  held  the  necessary  eat 
ables.  Her  sole  companion  was  an  enormous 
Maltese  cat  with  a  head  more  lupine  than 
feline,  and  of  an  age  running  far  beyond  the 
local  chronicles.  She  scared  off  every  living 
creature,  and  woe  befell  the  cur  that  came 


FRIENDS   IN   LIFE   AND   IN   DEATH        1 77 

within  reach,  of  her  paws.  Only  at  night 
was  the  cat  seen  to  roam  around  the  neigh 
borhood,  her  eyes  glowing  like  those  of  a 
preying  wolf,  and  unruly  children  were  sub 
dued  by  the  threat  that  Yente's  cat  would 
seize  them  at  night. 

In  Yente's  immediate  neighborhood  was 
the  public  bath,  an  institution  of  import 
ance  in  Slavonic  Jewry.  Here  the  women 
refresh  themselves  on  Thursdays  and  the 
men  on  Fridays,  the  steaming  and  the 
plunge  in  the  reservoirs  being  hugely  en 
joyed.  Selig,  an  old  blind  man,  was  the 
only  occupant  of  the  bath  during  the  week, 
and  he  assured  the  public  that  the  building 
was  haunted.  He  told  the  children  blood 
curdling  tales  of  what  he  nightly  heard 
around  him,  the  sounds — cries  of  infants, 
weird  music,  dancing,  brawling,  and  feast 
ing — always  ceasing  at  the  crow  of  the  cock. 
He  was  once  offered  a  glass  of  wine  by  one 
of  the  airy  revelers,  but  he  read  the  Shema\ 
and  the  attention  was  never  repeated. 

Yente  was  known  to  have  a  tender  feeling 
for  Selig.  Kalmon,  the  eagle-eyed  Shadchan 

12 


1 78  IN   THE   PALE 

of  Choinick,  suggested  an  alliance  between 
the  pair,  but  nothing  came  of  it.  Selig  was 
willing  enough,  but  Yente  hesitated,  leaving 
the  matter  in  suspense.  Friendly  inter 
course  was  cultivated  between  the  blind 
bachelor  and  the  knowing  maid,  but  wed 
lock  remained  the  possibility  of  an  unknown 
future. 

The  question  people  often  asked  one  an 
other  was  :  What  is  Yente  going  to  do  with 
her  treasure  ?  It  must  not  be  thought  that 
they  referred  to  Selig  as  her  treasure.  The 
woman  had  a  real  hoard.  This  was  an 
established  fact ;  for  with  the  income  of  a 
professional  man  she  combined  the  parsi 
mony  of  a  miser,  so  that  her  unemployed 
wealth  was  assumed  to  have  reached  a 
fabulous  figure.  She  had  no  relatives,  no 
soul  to  claim  a  thing  after  her  demise. 
Who  will  inherit  her  fortune  ?  The  next 
question  was :  Where  and  how  does  she 
manage  to  hide  it  ? 

One  moonless  evening,  unearthly  lamen 
tations,  making  night  hideous,  issued  from 
Yente's  cabin.  It  sounded  as  though  a 


FRIENDS   IN   LIFE   AND   IN   DEATH        179 

wolf  and  a  cat  were  vying  with  each  other 
in  the  endeavor  to  rend  the  air  with  appal 
ling  notes.  It  was  Yente  and  her  cat.  The 
feline  creature  appeared  to  share  the  dis 
tress  of  her  mistress,  and  joined  her  in  her 
dirge  of  despair.  Selig  responded  at  once; 
others  followed  hesitatingly,  the  region  be 
ing  shunned  after  nightfall.  Yente  raved 
distractedly,  the  cat  whined,  and  walked 
about  her  in  a  circle,  her  tailed  raised,  her 
eyes  burning,  and  her  wolfish  head  moving 
ominously. 

"  He  has  robbed  me,  he  has  robbed  me — he 
has  taken  all,  the  thief  has  taken  all ;  I  shall 
never  see  my  many,  many  silver  roubles 
again,"  cried  the  crone  despondingly. 

Yes,  her  treasure  was  gone,  pot  and  all. 
She  had  hoarded  it  under  her  hearth,  over 
which  the  cat  kept  faithful  watch,  except 
when  she  roamed  about  at  night.  How  any 
one  could  get  at  the  treasure  without  at 
tracting  notice  was  the  puzzle  of  the  mo 
ment. 

"  He  has  robbed  me,  he  has  robbed  me," 
repeated  Yente  in  a  mournful  strain,  folding 


180  IN   THE   PALE 

her  shriveled  hands  in  despair,  and  moaning, 
as  if  her  dearest  lay  hushed  in  death. 

"  Whom  do  you  accuse  of  the  theft?"  was 
Selig's  pertinent  query. 

"  She  means  David,"  was  the  simultaneous 
murmur  of  several  persons  present. 

No  sooner  was  the  suspicion  uttered  than 
Jonathan,  who  happened  to  be  there,  chal 
lenged  the  accusing  parties  to  show  cause 
why  his  cousin  should  be  charged  with  the 
crime. 

"  How  dare  you  accuse  an  honorable 
man?"  cried  Jonathan,  clinching  his  fist. 

"  Yes,  he  is  the  thief,"  cried  the  exasper 
ated  woman  defiantly  ;  "it  is  he,  it  is  he." 

Jonathan's  eyes  flashed  wildly  as  he 
turned  upon  the  crone,  and  he  emphasized 
his  words  by  shaking  his  two  powerful  fists 
at  her:  "If  thou  wert  not  a  woman  and  a 
witch,  I  should  teach  thee  a  lesson." 

Jonathan  had  no  doubt  of  his  cousin's  in 
nocence. 

"  And  I  say,  it  is  he,  nobody  but  him,"  as 
serted  Selig  belligerently,  raising  his  stick 
in  defiance,  and  adding  :  "  The  thief  stole  the 


FRIENDS   IN    LIFE    AND   IN    DEATH        l8l 

Kugel  out  of  the  Shalct  a  hundred  times." 
"  And  I  say,  you  are  a  pair  of  black  slander 
ers,  possessed  by  the  demon  of  lies,"  re 
torted  Jonathan,  and  withdrew  with  venge 
ful  ire,  sure  that  there  was  not  a  shadow  of 
truth  in  the  unanimous  accusation  of  his 
friend.  Jonathan's  generous  nature,  sus 
tained  by  a  strong  sense  of  honor  and  can 
dor,  revolted  against  the  idea  that  his  cousin 
should  descend  to  the  crime  of  stealing,  or 
withhold  anything  from  him  that  he  was 
entitled  to  know. 

It  should  be  stated  that  Jonathan,  though 
backing  David  in  every  legitimate  enter 
prise,  could  not  be  prevailed  upon  to  parti 
cipate  in  expeditions  unsanctioned  by  his 
sense  of  right.  He  drew  a  line  between 
plundering  a  Shalct  or  an  orchard  and  steal 
ing  the  earnings  of  labor.  David  humored 
him  in  this  singular  interpretation  of  the 
eighth  commandment,  availed  himself  of  his 
cousin's  assistance  as  far  as  it  could  be 
secured,  and  did  the  rest  of  his  jobs  on  his 
own  account.  Whether  he  was  guilty  of 
the  robbery  in  question  remains  to  be  seen. 


182  IN  THE   PALE 

The  two  cousins  loved  each  other  devot 
edly,  but,  saving  fearlessness,  had  little  in 
common.  Jonathan  was  frank,  stately  in 
stature,  scrupulous  in  matters  of  principle 
as  he  understood  it,  and  generous  even  to 
those  he  had  reason  to  dislike.  He  was 
popular  among  his  comrades,  and  David  was 
feared.  Seen  together,  the  cousins  were  a 
striking  reproduction  of  the  Scriptural  pic 
ture  of  the  son  of  Jesse  pacing  the  street 
of  Gibeah  by  the  side  of  princely  Jonathan. 

Yente's  loss  was  the  talk  of  the  town.  A 
small  sum  of  money  was  collected  and 
offered  her,  but  she  refused  to  accept  it. 
She  also  declined  to  administer  her  nos 
trums  to  those  in  want  of  them,  knowing 
that  to  find  a  substitute  for  her  was  impos 
sible.  The  woman  meditated  vengeance. 
Hereafter  Selig  was  her  constant  companion 
during  the  day  ;  the  nights  he  spent  in  the 
bath.  Kalmon  lost  all  interest  in  the  pair, 
now  that  the  match  had  no  golden  promise 
for  him.  It  had  been  otherwise  when 
Yente  was  rich,  but  no  shrewd  Shadchan 
bothers  himself  about  the  poor. 


FRIENDS   IN   LIFE   AND   IN   DEATH        183 

David  had  little  to  say  in  reference  to  the 
robbery.  When  informed  that  the  crone 
charged  him  with  the  crime,  and  swore  to 
wreak  vengeance  on  him,  he  made  the 
strange  remark  that  the  spirit  of  the  son  of 
Jesse  scorned  the  Witch  of  Endor ;  neither 
did  he  fear  the  impotent  threats  of  an  old 
sorceress ;  he  would,  moreover,  know  how  to 
deal  with  him  who  dared  associate  his 
name  with  the  theft.  Herewith  the  matter 
ended.  The  only  serious  result  of  the  pain 
ful  occurrence  was  Yente's  determination  not 
to  pursue  her  profession.  The  evil  eye  made 
havoc  in  the  town.  Selig's  interposition  was 
sought  in  vain.  "  She  shall  do  as  she 
pleases,"  was  his  laconic  answer.  It  was 
then  thought  that  Kalmon's  oratory  might 
have  good  effect.  It  failed,  partly  because 
he  was  not  interested  in  what  appertained 
to  Yente,  since  she  no  longer  was  mis 
tress  of  a  hoard.  His  mind  was  busy  with 
another  scheme.  Kalmon  had  a  numerous 
family  and  a  quick  eye  to  business.  Noth 
ing  of  interest  to  him  escaped  his  attention. 

David's  defiant  answer  to  Yente's  charge 


1 84  IN   THE   PALE 

and  his  pregnant  allusion  to  the  spirit  of  the 
son  of  Jesse,  as  well  as  his  attachment  to 
Jonathan,  made  it  appear  plausible  to  the 
wisest  elders  of  the  town  that  the  two  youths 
represented  something  more  than  appeared 
on  the  surface  of  things.  The  Kabbalists, 
of  whom  there  was  a  goodly  number  in 
Choinick,  and  with  whom  the  transmigration 
of  the  soul  is  an  article  of  faith,  were  struck 
by  the  amazing  phenomenon  of  a  late  re 
birth  of  two  ancient  heroes,  evidently  for 
some  Providential  design,  to  be  revealed 
hereafter.  Seen  in  this  light,  the  character 
of  David  was  a  psychological  necessity.  And 
who  could  doubt  that  Jonathan  was  a  worthy 
representative  of  his  old  prototype  ?  Did 
not  his  figure  and  nature  bear  striking 
resemblance  to  his  immortal  namesake's  ? 

What  this  conclusion  meant  to  Kab- 
balistic  dreamers,  only  he  who  entertains 
profound  reverence  for  persons  renowned 
in  Holy  Writ  can  imagine.  Henceforth 
people  were  eager  to  learn  of  new  mis 
chief  done  by  David,  or  of  some  heroic  act 
done  by  Jonathan.  Further  reflection  en- 


FRIENDS    IN   LIFE   AND   IN   DEATH         185 

gendered  the  idea  that  the  reappearance  of 
the  two  chivalrous  princes  of  hoary  an 
tiquity  in  youthful  forms  might  indicate 
the  imminent  arrival  of  the  Messiah.  The 
son  of  Jesse  being  here,  why  should  not  the 
son  of  David  follow  ?  Are  not  the  times  out 
of  joint?  Is  not  Israel  suffering  under  the 
iron  heel  of  Edom  ?  Surely  it  was  time  that 
Elijah  blew  his  trumpet. 

As  soon  as  Kalmon,  the  Shade han,  grasped 
the  drift  of  the  plausible  assumption,  it 
dawned  on  his  mind  that  his  opportunity 
had  come  to  do  a  great  thing.  The  prospect 
of  bringing  about  an  alliance  full  of  promise 
to  the  parties  concerned  as  well  as  to  himself, 
an  alliance  likely  to  culminate  in  the  birth 
of  Messiah,  dazzled  his  imagination.  Match 
making  having  been  his  life-long  vocation, 
Kalmon  seldom  failed  to  hit  the  nail  on  the 
head.  A  survey  of  circumstances  convinced 
him  that  success  was  sure  to  crown  his 
efforts,  and  he  took  up  the  affair  with  alacrity. 

There  is  a  vast  deal  of  shrewd  diplomacy 
in  the  strategic  moves  of  the  proficient 
Shadchan.  In  the  first  place  every  marriage- 


1 86  IN   THE   PALE 

able  youth  and  maiden  within  the  debatable 
periphery  of  what  he  pleases  to  call  his  dis 
trict  is  carefully  registered.  Genealogy, 
personal  charms,  as  well  as  defects,  age,  and 
probable  dowry,  are  noted  for  reference.  If 
there  be  a  black  sheep  in  the  family,  a  stain 
on  the  character  of  a  member  thereof,  the 
Shade han  is  bound  to  know  it.  He  is  in  truth 
the  most  trustworthy  chronicler  of  his  dis 
trict,  his  records  being  a  mirror,  as  it  were, 
of  the  moral,  not  less  than  of  the  material 
conditions,  prevalent  within  his  domain. 

The  Shadchan  understands  how  to  make 
capital  of  occasional  meetings  with  parents 
who  have  marriageable  children.  Prepared 
to  embrace  the  opportunity,  the  professional 
man  enlarges  on  some  general  topic  of  inter 
est,  until  he  deems  the  moment  auspicious 
for  the  beginning  of  the  operations  proper. 
His  eloquence  fairly  overflows  in  extravagant 
praise  of  the  family  in  view ;  what  an 
honor  it  were  to  get  one's  son  a  wife  of  that 
incomparable  stock,  from  which  lights  have 
sprung  that  made  their  age  radiant  with 
the  effulgence  of  their  spirit.  If  there  be  a 


FRIENDS   IN   LIFE    AND   IN   DEATH        187 

bodily  or  mental  shortcoming  in  the  young 
person  under  consideration,  it  is  cleverly 
contrasted  with  a  score  of  magnified  virtues. 
The  advantages  of  the  party  present  are  be 
littled  in  order  to  heighten  the  distinction 
of  the  party  suggested  as  worthy  of  his 
alliance.  "  It  is  true  that  the  girl  is  not 
exactly  handsome,  and  is  somewhat  squint- 
eyed,  but  you  should  see  her  cook,  and  bake, 
and  attend  to  the  little  ones  during  her  moth 
er's  sickness.  Then,  was  not  Rabbi  Joel,  who 
fasted  every  Monday  and  Thursday,  and 
knew  the  whole  Mishna  by  heart,  her  great 
grandfather?  What  a  family  she  will  raise!" 
The  most  consummate  cicerone  would  have 
found  the  artful  Sliadchan  more  than  a  match 
for  his  voluble  tongue. 

A  person  of  some  note  in  Choinick  was 
Samson  the  Driver.  The  man  had  a  history. 
Samson  was  the  father  of  two  motherless 
maidens,  Miriam  and  Leah,  and  the  owner 
of  a  considerable  fortune,  two-thirds  of 
which  he  was  prepared  to  give  away  with 
his  winsome  daughters,  provided  the  right 
husbands  were  suggested.  That  Kalmon 


1 88  IN   THE   PALE 

had  the  girls  on  his  register  need  scarcely  K, 
said.  But  Samson  had  formed  extravagant 
conceptions  of  the  youths  he  would  deign  to 
accept  as  his  sons-in-law,  and  his  ideal  could 
not  be  found  among  the  youths  of  Choin- 
ick.  "The  young  men  who  are  to  marry  my 
daughters  must  be  lights  in  Israel,"  main 
tained  Samson,  and  Kalmon  was  at  his  wit's 
end  how  to  find  those  "lights"  in  his  district. 
Samson  did  not  make  much  of  his  reputa 
tion  as  the  strongest  man  in  the  place,  so 
strong,  it  was  asserted,  that  he  could  uproot 
a  tree,  not  unlike  his  namesake,  who  tore 
out  the  gates  of  Gaza.  The  Driver  had  not 
known  how  strong  he  was  until  he  saw  his 
cow  in  danger.  This  occurred  on  a  Sabbath 
morning,  while  the  Jews  of  Choinick  were 
gathered  in  one  of  their  synagogues  to  sing 
psalms.  At  this  time  a  plague  was  deci 
mating  the  cattle  in  the  non-Jewish  quarter, 
while  in  the  Jewish  herds,  grazed  on  separate 
pastures,  not  a  goat  died.  To  satisfy  a  mali 
cious  proclivity,  the  starostvo  directed  the 
herdsmen  to  unite  the  herds  of  the  Jews  with 
those  of  the  other  citizens,  on  a  day  when  the 


FRIENDS   IN   LIFE   AND   IN   DEATH        189 

Jews  were  not  likely  to  offer  serious  resist 
ance,  the  avowed  object  being  to  communi 
cate  the  plague  to  their  cattle.  He  was 
mistaken.  As  soon  as  the  Jews  heard  of 
the  infamy,  they  hurried  to  the  spot  to 
extricate  their  cattle.  They  met  with  force, 
the  starostvo  having  been  prepared  for  the 
encounter.  The  Jews  were  beaten  back, 
and  the  battle  would  have  been  lost,  had  not 
Samson  arrived  in  time  to  turn  the  tide  of 
victory  in  favor  of  his  outraged  brethren 
and  their  cows.  Armed  with  a  knotty 
cudgel,  he  threw  himself  into  the  thick  of 
the  combat  with  a  vigor  which  caused  the 
enemy  to  look  for  shelter  behind  fences  and 
hedges,  leaving  the  field  to  the  redoubtable 
Maccabeus.  The  herds  were  separated,  and 
Samson's  heroism  was  on  every  lip,  but  he 
bore  his  fame  with  becoming  modesty. 

The  man  was  kind-hearted,  pious,  and 
charitable,  but  abysmally  ignorant.  His  ig 
norance  would  have  been  less  striking,  had 
he  not  had  the  irrepressible  habit  of  mis 
quoting  sacred  lore,  to  the  great  amusement 
of  the  learned,  who  ungenerously  entangled 


1 90  IN   THE  PALE 

the  whole-souled  man  in  theological  discus 
sions  entirely  beyond  the  reach  of  his  knowl 
edge.  To  strengthen  his  position  he  would 
unload  a  volley  of  Hebrew  phrases,  ludic 
rously  incorrect  and  frequently  disproving 
what  he  was  anxious  to  establish.  Good- 
natured  as  he  was,  he  would  join  in  the 
laughter  elicited  by  his  illiteracy,  instead  of 
feeling  humiliated.  "As  a  Rabbi  I  should 
be  a  failure,  I  suppose,"  he  would  say  inno 
cently. 

Samson  had  risen  to  wealth  by  a  curious 
accident,  not  to  say  adventure.  Origi 
nally  a  poor  driver  of  a  one-horse  team, 
he  had  taken  passengers  from  Choinick  to 
the  neighboring  towns.  But  one  day  he  be 
gan  to  deal  in  hides  and  grain,  paying  in 
hard  cash  and  disposing  of  his  goods  to  ad 
vantage.  Where  had  he  gotten  the  money  ? 

The  secret  was  this.  One  Friday  morning, 
on  returning  from  his  weekly  trip,  he  was 
accosted  by  an  emaciated  soldier,  who  looked 
an  object  of  pity.  The  wretched  warrior  as 
sured  him  that  he  had  spent  the  preceding 
night  on  the  porch  of  the  open  market-place, 


FRIENDS    IN    LIFE   AND   IN   DEATH        19! 

that  lie  was  sick,  hungry,  and  chilled  to  the 
marrow  of  his  bones.  He  did  not  possess  a 
kopeck  to  buy  a  cup  of  tea,  would  not  accept 
charity,  but  offered  a  shabby  coat  for  sale, 
as  he  had  two,  and  could  dispense  with  one. 
That  he  had  but  one  leg,  and  needed  less 
covering  than  a  man  with  two  legs,  was  the 
pathetic  justification  of  the  proposed  com 
mercial  transaction.  Samson  had  a  big 
heart.  He  gave  the  man  a  few  kopecks, 
told  him  to  come  to  his  house  to  get  a  warm 
meal,  and  refused  to  take  the  garment.  The 
soldier  thanked  him,  threw  the  habit  on  his 
wagon,  and  went  his  way,  leaving  Samson 
to  feel  sorry  that  he  could  do  no  more  for 
the  unfortunate  man. 

There  are  few  cities,  towns,  and  villages 
in  Russia  where  such  wrecks  of  humanity 
may  not  be  found  vegetating,  their  strength 
and  manhood  beaten  out  of  them  during 
military  slavery,  which  consumes  the  best 
half  of  their  lives.  If  he  has  no  relatives 
to  take  care  of  him,  the  Russian  veteran  has 
either  to  be  a  menial,  or  beg,  or  die  in  a 
poorhouse.  Besides,  there  is  a  popular  preju- 


IQ2  IN   THE   PALE 

dice  against  old  soldiers,  who  are  met  every 
where  with  ill-disguised  suspicion  ;  the  rea 
son  is  that  the  Czar's  humbler  veterans 
often  incur  flogging  for  the  commission  of 
petty  larcenies. 

Once  under  his  roof,  Samson  greeted  his 
aged  mother,  kissed  his  daughters,  un 
hitched  his  horse,  offered  up  his  prayers, 
took  a  frugal  breakfast,  and  was  on  the 
point  of  retiring  to  take  a  nap,  when  his  foot 
came  in  contact  with  the  coat  he  had  thrown 
on  the  floor.  He  thought  that  he  had  struck 
something  unusually  heavy  in  one  of  its 
sleeves.  He  tried  the  other  sleeve,  and 
found  it  equally  loaded.  What  might  be 
therein?  Perchance  a  soiled  handker 
chief,  tobacco  leaves,  old  newspapers,  or 
other  nondescript  articles  which  a  Russian 
soldier  is  in  the  habit  of  stowing  away  be 
hind  the  upturned  cuff  of  his  greatcoat. 
Whatever  it  might  be,  Samson's  curiosity 
was  aroused. 

A  closer  examination  of  the  sleeves  showed 
them  to  be  carefully  sewed  up.  A  rip  with 
a  knife  gave  the  driver  access  to  the  inside 


FRIENDS   IN   LIFE   AND  IN   DEATH        193 

of  one  of  them.  Pushing  his  hand  inward 
as  far  as  he  could,  he  got  hold  of  and 
brought  forth  a  large  package  in  an  en 
velope.  Still  sure  that  it  contained  nothing 
of  value,  he  opened  it,  and,  to  his  speechless 
amazement,  found  it  literally  stuffed  with  a 
variety  of  bank-notes,  running  from  five  to  a 
hundred  roubles.  The  man  trembled  as  he 
ripped  open  the  other  sleeve,  wherefrom  he 
pulled  forth  another  envelope,  containing 
about  an  equal  amount  in  paper  currency. 
The  precious  garb  was  now  anxiously 
searched,  and  the  quest  was  rewarded  by  the 
discovery  of  a  flattened  package  cunningly 
hidden  under  the  broad  upper  lapel  of  the 
coat;  its  contents  almost  doubled  the  treasure 
in  Samson's  hands.  Joy,  not  unmixed  with 
apprehension,  seized  the  driver's  heart.  He 
counted  thousand  after  thousand,  not  one 
note  of  recent  date.  The  poor  soldier  had 
carried  that  coat  about  for  years,  without 
dreaming  of  the  fortune  hidden  therein 
for  the  humble  Israelite.  Finds  of  this 
kind  have  often  enriched  dealers  in  old 
clothes  in  Russia,  especially  after  a  war,  it 
13 


194  IN  THE   PALE 

being  habitual  with  the  mujik  to  hide  his  pelf 
in  a  pot  and  bury  it,  and  with  the  soldier  to 
sew  it  up  in  a  sleeve  for  future  use,  often 
prevented  by  the  death  of  the  owner. 

Samson  was  inclined  to  believe  that  the 
beggarly  soldier  was  none  else  than  Elijah, 
the  Prophet,  who  can  assume  any  guise 
when  on  an  errand  of  assistance  to  the 
worthy.  For  tradition  speaks  of  Elijah  as 
the  benign  messenger  dispatched  now  and 
then  to  relieve  the  woes  of  poverty  and 
misery. 

In  this  way  Samson  the  Driver  became 
the  richest  man  in  his  town,  and  he  made 
good  use  of  his  wealth. 

Shortly  after  this  happy  occurrence  Sam 
son  had  a  confidential  interview  with  Rabbi 
Joseph,  who  advised  him  to  have  a  new 
Torah  written  for  the  congregation,  in  grate 
ful  acknowledgment  of  the  blessing  re 
ceived.  Accordingly,  one  of  the  most  skil 
ful  and  pious  scribes  was  engaged,  the  best 
parchment  was  prepared,  and  the  sacred 
work  was  begun  with  great  solemnity.  The 
scribe  bathed  every  morning,  worked  in  si- 


FRIENDS   IN   LIFE    AND    IN   DEATH        195 

lent  seclusion,  and  when  the  work  was  com 
pleted,  the  scroll  was  carried  to  the  Holy 
Ark  with  magnificent  ceremony  after  a  feast 
of  rejoicing1.  Samson  looked  and  felt  as  if 
earth  and  heaven  delighted  in  his  action, 
and  was  sure  that  the  best  chair  in  Paradise 
had  been  reserved  for  him. 

How  the  impecunious  driver  could  do 
so  grand  a  thing,  this  had  to  remain  a  secret, 
lest  the  police  hear  of  his  find,  in  which  case 
his  fate  would  have  been  sealed:  He  would 
have  been  arrested,  imprisoned,  and  his 
property  confiscated. 

Fortunately  this  had  happened  long  before 
Yente's  hoard  disappeared,  or  the  good  man 
would  have  been  suspected  of  the  rob 
bery,  although  his  sincere  piety  precluded 
the  least  suspicion  that  there  was  anything 
wrong  in  the  acquisition  of  his  riches. 

Hereafter  Samson's  ambition  centred  in 
the  wish  to  see  his,  daughters  married 
to  youths  of  learning  and  noble  lineage. 
He  watched  every  budding  genius  in  the 
place,  but  the  finest  specimens  of  the  Tal- 
mudic  stripling  about  him  did  not  seem 


196  IN   THE   PALE 

worthy  of  the  prizes  he  held  out.  Of  David 
and  Jonathan  he  had  had  no  thought,  until 
the  quick-witted  Kalmon  unveiled  to  him  the 
Messianic  hopes  founded  on  the  identity  of 
the  youths  with  the  royal  singer  and  the 
sweetest  prince  in  ancient  Israel.  The 
SJiadchan  drew  a  transcendental  picture  of 
the  golden  likelihoods  destined  to'  spring 
from  an  alliance  of  Miriam  and  Leah  on 
the  one  hand,  with  David  and  Jonathan  on 
the  other.  Growing  eloquent,  Kalmon  went 
into  a  prophetic  transport  over  the  brilliant 
vista  the  proposed  union  would  open  for 
Israel  in  exile.  Samson's  poor  head  turned 
dizzy  with  the  intoxication  of  inexpressible 
joy.  A  shower  of  biblical  misquotations 
descended  on  the  head  of  the  devoted  Shad- 
chan.  Samson's  erudition  filled  Kalmon 
with  astonishment.  He  professed  surprise 
at  the  appropriate  lore  thus  freely  given. 

"  From  what  Delilah  did  you  learn  your 
wisdom,  brother  Samson?"  inquired  the 
foxy  match-maker.  Kalmon  was  not  aware 
that  he  had  touched  a  tender  spot  in  the 
heart  of  the  driver. 


FRIENDS    IN    LIFE    AND    IN    DEATH        197 

''Ah,  my  Delilah — you  mean  my  Esther — 
has  been  dead  now  over  seven  years,  alas !" 
sighed  Samson  pathetically.  "  But  if  the 
blessed  Messiah  is  to  be  our  grandchild, 
she  will  certainly  hear  of  it,  and  rejoice  in 
the  other  world,  will  she  not,  Kalmon?" 

The  Shadchan  had  no  doubts  on  this 
matter,  and  he  left  the  honest  ignoramus, 
sure  of  success  so  far  as  the  latter  was  con 
cerned 

The  parents  of  David  and  Jonathan  lived 
under  the  same  roof  and  in  such  cordial  re 
lations  with  each  other  as  to  be  looked  upon 
as  one  family.  Kalmon's  dignified  appear 
ance  and  his  diplomatic  statement  of  the 
case  had  the  weight  of  an  irrefutable  argu 
ment.  Samson,  it  was  true,  was  a  fearfully 
illiterate  man,  but  then  who  can  buy  a  cow 
for  literature  ?  The  Talmud  is  a  very  great 
and  holy  thing,  but  who  can  feed  his  wife 
with  Talmudic  saws  ?  The  driver  was  an  hon 
est,  exceedingly  religious  man  ;  Miriam  and 
Leah  were  fine  girls,  and  the  dowry  they 
were  going  to  receive  was  the  main  item  to 
be  considered.  The  Shade/tan  had  the  logic 


198  IN   THE   PALE 

of  stern  reality  on  his  side,  and  gained  an 
easy  victory.  In  his  presence  David  and 
Jonathan  were  consulted  as  to  their  inclina 
tions,  and  their  answers  were  characteristic. 

"  If  Leah  will  have  me,  I  take  her  to  be 
the  sweetest  of  the  two,"  said  David. 

"  I  should  prefer  Miriam  at  any  time," 
observed  Jonathan. 

"  It  suits  me  either  way,  boys,"  closed 
Kalmon,  delighted  with  the  result  of  his 
effort. 

Hereupon  the  parents  kissed  their  sons, 
the  mothers  shed  tears,  several  earthen  pots 
were  broken  in  token  of  the  engagement  and 
of  the  discomfiture  of  the  Evil  One,  who,  in 
company  with  Lilith,  plans  the  frustration 
of  every  happy  union,  and  felicitations  were 
exchanged.  The  following  day  the  docu 
ment  of  the  betrothal,  setting  forth  the  con 
ditions  and  fixing  the  date  of  the  nuptials, 
was  duly  signed,  and,  according  to  the  cus 
tom  in  vogue,  presents  were  given  to  the 
betrothed  couples.  David  and  Jonathan 
each  received  a  golden  watch  and  a  fine  set 
of  the  Talmud  ;  the  maidens  got  precious 


FRIENDS    IN   LIFE   AND   IN   DEATH        199 

rings  and  silk  shawls,  and  the  happy  event 
was  celebrated  by  a  great  dinner  at  the 
house  of  Samson,  followed  by  a  similar  re 
past  spread  at  the  home  of  the  prospective 
grooms. 

At  the  approach  of  the  seven  festive  days 
devoted  to  Jewish  nuptials,  the  Jews  of 
Choinick  were  up  and  doing,  preparing  for 
the  auspicious  feast.  Everyone  was  grati 
fied  except  two  persons,  Yente  and  Selig, 
who  had  no  blessing  for  the  coming  wed 
ding.  The  cordial  invitation  Samson  ex 
tended  to  them  they  rejected  with  scorn. 
Selig  shook  his  fist  at  the  beadle  who  had 
come  to  inform  him  that  he  was  to  preside 
over  the  table  set  apart  for  the  poor  on  such 
occasions.  This  was  meant  as  a  compliment, 
but  was  received  as  an  affront.  Yente's 
displeasure,  muttered  in  curses,  gave  Sam 
son  much  concern.  He  tried  hard  to  con 
ciliate  the  woman  by  a  liberal  offering,  but 
met  with  a  rebuff.  "  You  should  bear  in 
mind,"  Samson  pleaded,  after  some  Scrip 
tural  misquotations,  "  that  yours  is  an 
imaginary  wrong.  Is  it  right  to  wish  evil 


2OO  IN    THE    PALE 

to  a  youth,  destined  to  be  the  father  of  the 
true  Messiah  ? " 

Yente's  response  to  Samson's  plea  was  a 
fit  of  hysteric  laughter  and  the  slamming  of 
her  door  in  his  face,, for  it  was  before  her 
shanty  that  he  had  succeeded  in  facing 
her.  The  man  stood  with  his  mouth  wide 
open,  by  no  means  tin  alarmed  at  the  evil 
prognosticated  by  her  behavior.  He  had  a 
high  opinion  of  the  woman's  magic  secrets, 
and  felt  sure  that  she  was  bent  on  mischief. 
A  consultation  with  the  spiritual  adviser  of 
the  congregation,  however,  relieved  the 
driver  of  his  darker  apprehensions,  and  he 
proceeded  to  make  royal  preparations  for 
the  wedding  of  his  daughters. 

''There  shall  be  no  stale  bread  at  our 
banquet,"  announced  Samson,  a  metaphori 
cal  way  of  promising  that  the  guests  would 
be  treated  in  proper  fashion,  and  he  was 
known  to  be  as  good  as  his  word. 

Orthodox  Israel  expects  the  bride  and 
the  groom  to  spend  their  wedding  day  in 
prayer  and  meditation.  To  those  on  the 
point  of  embarking  on  the  high  seas  of  life 


FRIENDS   IN   LIFE    AND   IN    DEATH        2OI 

it  is,  in  a  sense,  a  Day  of  Atonement,  and  as 
such  it  is  treated.  David  and  Jonathan  ac 
cordingly  spent  the  whole  day  in  seclusion. 
With  the  decline  of  the  sun  their  best  men 
appeared  to  prepare  them  for  the  marriage 
ceremony,  which  was  to  take  place  in  the 
presence  of  the  entire  congregation,  gath 
ered  between  the  twin  places  of  worship,  a 
square  large  enough  to  hold  several  thou 
sand  people. 

It  is  proper  to  mention  that  Choinick, 
like  other  towns  of  the  kind,  sustains  two 
places  of  worship ;  one  is  the  Beth  Hami- 
drash,  a  house  devoted  to  daily  prayer  and 
the  study  of  the  Law  and  its  commentaries, 
and  a  Shule,  an  imposing  building  open  only 
on  Sabbaths  and  only  during  the  warm 
season.  During  the  week  and  during  the 
winter,  the  Skule,  built  in  pyramidal  shape, 
looks  like  a  haunted  castle ;  it  is  unheated, 
unillumined,  shrouded  in  sepulchral  gloom, 
and  believed  to  be  the  haunt  of  the  dead 
at  midnight  for  the  purpose  of  ghostly 
devotion,  a  cycle  of  awful  stories  being 
current  to  substantiate  the  belief. 


202  IN    THE    PALE 

Between  the  sacred  edifices,  under  a 
canopy  known  as  the  CJiuppa,  at  the  setting 
of  the  sun,  the  Rabbi  was  to  tie  the  knot 
that  was  never  to  be  untied.  Yellow  sand 
was  strewn  to  brighten  up  the  space,  and 
things  in  general  wore  an  air  of  festivity. 
When  the  cousins  were  ready  to  be  escorted 
to  their  brides,  Jonathan  had  tears  in  his 
eyes.  "  What  oppresses  thy  heart,  my  Jon 
athan?"  asked  David. 

The  taller  youth  looked  down  at  his  friend 
in  pregnant  silence,  his  face  betraying  sup 
pressed  emotion.  The  young  men  embraced 
each  other  with  affection.  "  Speak  thy 
heart,  my  Jonathan,"  insisted  David,  "  for  I 
see  that  thou  hast  something  to  say  that 
weighs  heavily  on  thy  breast ;  is  it  in  my 
power  to  serve  thee  ?" 

"Yes,  I  have  a  request  which  thou  must 
grant,  David.  A  mysterious  impulse  impels 
me  to  ask  of  thee  a  thing  never  before 
asked  of  man.  Yet  I  shall  ask  no  more  than 
I  am  willing  to  give  in  return,"  replied  Jona 
than,  with  great  earnestness. 

With    a   look  of  genuine  surprise  David 


FRIENDS    IN   LIFE   AND   IN    DEATH        203 

rashly  swore  that,  whatever  the  request, 
he  was  prepared  to  gratify  it.  "  I  know  that 
my  cousin  will  not  ask  me  to  do  wrong, 
and  what  you  are  determined  to  do  for  me, 
I  shall  most  assuredly  do  for  thee." 

At  this  Jonathan,  resumed  with  grave 
deliberation :  "  Cousin,  I  find  this  life  to  be 
a  great,  deep  mystery,  surpassed  only  by 
the  yet  deeper  mystery  enshrouding  man's 
fate  beyond  the  grave.  The  heavens  with 
the  stars  above  us,  what  do  they  signify? 
What  is  the  purpose  of  this  creation? 
Who  and  what  is  man  ?  What  becomes  of 
him  hereafter?  Seasons  change,  years  fly, 
generations  perish,  the  skies  are  mute — 
who  are  we?  Wherefore  are  we?  What 
becomes  of  us?  This  I  long  to  know. 
Therefore,  O  David,  be  it  settled  between 
us  that,  whosoever  of  us  two  dies  first,  shall 
in  due  time  report,  if  possible,  to  him  left  be 
hind,  on  things  hitherto  tmrevealed.  Swear 
by  the  living  soul  in  thee,  as  I  herewith  do, 
to  hold  the  promise  as  sacred  as  the  three 
fold  covenant  that  forever  weds  Israel  to 
his  God." 


204  IN    THE    PALE 

There  was  a  moment's  silence  in  the 
room,  broken  by  the  oath  of  David,  who 
swore  to  do  what  he  might  be  permitted  in 
the  matter  of  satisfying  his  friend. 

"  Do  you  not  hear  the  sound  of  the  drum 
and  the  lute  summoning  you  to  meet  your 
brides  under  the  CJntppa  ?"  asked  one  of  the 
best  men.  "  Let  death  and  mystery  alone," 
and  the  tardy  bridegrooms  were  hurried 
to  the  scene  of  solemn  joy. 

In  a  community  in  which  mischievous 
Cupid  has  to  make  room  for  the  calculating 
Shadchan,  no  sonnets  are  sung  to  the  eye 
brow  of  the  mistress.  Yet  it  has  been  found 
impossible  to  divest  matrimony,  however 
prosaically  contracted,  of  the  air  of  romance 
that  will  ever  hover  over  the  associations  of 
love.  The  Slavonic  Jew  and  his  co-religion 
ist  in  Oriental  regions  behold  in  the  early 
consummation  of  marriage  the  realization 
of  an  ethical  ideal.  At  the  age  of  eighteen 
the  Talmudist  would  have  the  youth  pass 
through  the  matrimonial  market,  wedded 
life  being  the  fundamental  design  of  crea 
tion,  a  view  the  Shadchan  knows  how  to 


FRIENDS    IN   LIFE   AND   IN   DEATH       20$ 

utilize.  And  in  a  town  where  life's  monotony 
is  rarely  interrupted,  where  cows,  dogs, 
pigs,  chickens,  goats,  and  unwashed  children 
are  promiscuously  scattered  in  the  lanes,  a 
wedding  cannot  fail  to  create  a  stir  in 
the  dull  atmosphere.  In  this  case  the  inter 
est  was  heightened  by  the  rare  incident 
that  two  sisters  were  to  be  joined  to  two 
cousins,  of  late  the  most  talked-of  and 
observed  in  the  place.  Furthermore,  there 
were  not  many  in  the  congregation  whom 
Samson  the  Driver  had  not  invited  to  the 
regal  feast  to  follow  the  consecration  of 
love.  No  wonder  that  the  open  space  be 
tween  the  twin  houses  of  worship,  where  the 
canopy  was  stretched  on  four  gilded  poles, 
teemed  with  humanity  robed  in  festive  gar 
ments  and  eager  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the 
two  brides,  as  they  were  brought  along  un 
der  silken  veils,  preceded  by  a  band  of  mu 
sic.  The  brides  were  stationed  under  the 
canopy,  attended  by  their  parents,  and 
thither  the  bridegrooms  were  led  to  the 
sound  of  the  band.  The  young  men  looked 
pale,  walked  with  eyes  downcast,  and  wore 


206  IN    THE   PALE 

an  air  as  solemn  as  though  they  were  led  to 
a  place  of  execution.  Who  could  tell  what 
wedded  life  had  in  store  for  them  ? 

When  the  ceremony  began,  everything  ap 
peared  to  go  wrong.  The  first  hitch  oc 
curred  when  the  Rabbi  mistook  one  bride 
for  the  other,  barely  escaping  the  fearful  er 
ror  of  wedding  Jonathan  to  the  girl  of  Da 
vid's  choice.  Next,  confusion  was  caused  by 
Jonathan's  failure  to  crush  the  wine-glass 
thrown  at  his  feet.  The  thing  would  not 
crack,  as  though  made  of  steel.  This 
was  an  ominous  augury,  the  successful 
breaking  of  the  tumbler  being  a  sure  indi 
cation  of  good  luck.  To  add  to  the  alarm  of 
those  most  concerned  in  the  sacred  rite 
and  in  the  future  of  the  two  couples,  a 
pack  of  whining  cats  in  a  yard  near-by  rent 
the  air  with  hideous  noise.  The  significance 
of  the  feline  chorus  impressed  itself  on  the 
mind  of  the  superstitious  crowd,  when  it  was 
perceived  that  Yente's  lupine  cat  was  at  the 
head  of  the  fell  disturbance.  It  all  meant 
something  portentous  for  the  parties  under 
the  Chuppa.  The  Rabbi's  presence  of  mind 


FRIENDS    IN    LIFE   AND    IN   DEATH       2O/ 

alone  saved  the  ceremony  from  ending  in 
utter  perturbance.  A  repeated  effort  en 
abled  Jonathan  to  shiver  the  tumbler  into 
fragments.  The  cats  were  scared  off  the 
ground.  The  seven  benedictions  closed  the 
solemnization,  and  the  united  couples  were 
made  to  link  their  arms.  The  band  struck  up 
a  march,  the  multitude  clapped  their  hands, 
and  the  guests  proceeded  to  the  festal  hall, 
where  the  feast  continued  until  late  at  night, 
followed  by  dancing  till  dawn. 

On  the  following  Sabbath  the  brides  were 
ushered  into  the  women's  gallery  of  the 
synagogue  as  responsible  daughters  in  Is 
rael,  and  Samson  began  to  figure  out  the 
date  on  which  the  Messiah  was  likely  to  be 
born  under  his  roof. 

An  air  of  mystery  hovered  over  Choinick. 
Yente  gave  up  her  vocation,  and  lived  on  what 
little  Selig  supplied  by  his  weekly  rounds 
at  the  doors  of  the  neighboring  houses. 
Liberal  offers  of  help  by  Samson  were  scorn 
fully  rejected.  A  strange  sympathy  and  a 
purpose  to  be  divulged  hereafter  linked  the 
old  creatures  together.  They  withered  vis- 


208  IN   THE   PALE 

ibly,  held  secret  counsel,  returned  no  an 
swer  beyond  the  shrugging  of  shoulders  to 
every  question,  and  startled  the  people  by 
purchasing  a  roll  of  material  generally  used 
for  the  vestments  of  the  dead.  Soon  a  rumor 
spread  that  Yente  was  engaged  in  prepar 
ing  the  last  garments  for  Selig  and  herself, 
and  a  little  spying  into  the  window  of  her 
melancholy  habitation  proved  the  rumor  to 
be  well  founded. 

That  Selig  was  under  the  crone's  magic 
spell,  nobody  had  a  doubt.  As  for  the  rest, 
the  fact  that  many  pious  persons  think  it 
meritorious  to  have  their  last  vestments  in 
readiness  explained  Yente's  desire  to  pre 
pare  for  death.  Was  she  not  old  enough 
to  prepare  for  the  grave?  The  only. detail 
in  the  proceeding  that  puzzled  the  curious 
was  the  especial  interest  she  showed  in 
Selig's  post-mortem  attire.  What  was  the 
astonishment  of  the  people  when  it  became 
known  that  Yente  and  Selig  had  applied  to 
the  Rabbi  to  be  made  husband  and  wife ! 
When  it  is  taken  into  consideration  that 
Yente  was  a  shrivelled  hag,  bent  almost 


FRIENDS   IN   LIFE    AND    IN   DEATH        209 

double,  whose  beginning  the  oldest  heads  of 
the  town  failed  to  remember,  and  that  Selig 
was  fully  her  age,  blind,  and  a  pauper,  the 
comical  aspect  of  the  alliance  is  readily 
comprehended.  The  people  laughed  and 
wondered,  but  Samson's  head  rested  uneasy. 
The  good  man  felt  that  there  was  a  snake  in 
the  grass,  prepared  as  he  was  to  see  the 
powers  of  darkness  conspire  against  the 
coming  of  the  Messiah.  But  interference 
was  out  of  the  question.  Nobody  had  power 
over  Yente's  mind.  The  woman  had  never 
before  been  reasoned  out  of  a  whim,  and 
had  of  late  met  friendly  overtures  with  sul 
len  mien. 

Yente  insisted  on  being  wedded  between 
the  synagogues,  under  the  canopy  used  for 
the  last  double  wedding.  Samson  objected, 
but  it  was  beyond  his  power  to  prevent  the 
ceremony  from  taking  place  according  to 
usage.  As  a  bride,  Yente  could  not  be  refused 
what  other  brides  were  granted  as  a  matter  of 
course.  The  day  was  set,  but  it  was  not 
marked  by  any  preparation  whatsoever.  As 
the  hour  of  the  nuptials  approached,  curiosity 


2IO  IN   THE   PALE 

brought  together  a  number  of  men  and 
women,  among  them  David  and  Jonathan, 
who  indulged  in  all  sorts  of  ludicrous  specu 
lations.  Who  would  give  the  bride  away? 
Who  would  be  Selig's  best  man  ?  How  would 
Selig  find  the  finger  of  his  bride  to  put  the 
ring  on  it?  Joke  followed  joke,  until  Rabbi 
Joseph  arrived,  and  took  his  stand  under 
the  Chuppa,  ready  to  perform  his  function. 
No  sound  of  music  was  heard.  The  day  was 
drawing  to  an  end ;  the  swallows  swarmed 
in  the  air;  the  herd  was  returning  from 
the  pasture ;  the  crowd  around  the  Chuppa 
grew  larger.  Where  is  the  pair  to  be  united 
in  wedlock  ?  Suddenly  the  silence  of  death 
fell  upon  the  space  of  which  the  Chuppa 
formed  the  centre.  Ghastly  faces,  eyes  star 
ing  in  consternation,  were  turned  toward  the 
lane  leading  to  the  public  bath.  Thence 
two  shapes,  a  man  and  a  woman,  robed  in  the 
long,  white,  flowing  vestments  of  death,  came 
forth  slowly,  tottering,  arm  in  arm,  with 
the  solemnity  befitting  a  walk  to  the  grave. 
They  were  Yente  and  Selig,  who  had  con 
cluded  to  be  united  thus  for  a  purpose  known 


FRIENDS    IN   LIFE    AND    IN    DEATH        21 1 

to  them  alone.  The  sight  of  death  stalking 
in  grotesque  attire  chilled  the  hearts  of  the 
spectators.  The  beadle  had  a  bench  at 
hand.  Linen  hoods  overhung  the  faces 
of  the  couple,  who  approached  the  min 
ister  to  be  joined  as  husband  and  wife. 
It  was  a  ghostly  scene  fit  to  be  en 
acted  in  a  graveyard  at  midnight.  The 
Rabbi  proceeded  with  the  ceremony.  Selig 
placed  the  ring  on  the  bony  finger  of  his 
bride.  When  the  echo  of  the  last  "Amen" 
had  died  away  in  the  ambient  air,  the  mar 
ried  couple  simultaneously  sat  down  on 
the  bench,  Yente  throwing  her  palsied 
arm  around  the  man  whom  she  appeared 
to  have  charmed  into  passive  submis 
sion.  The  blind  man  did  not  betray  a 
sign  of  animation.  Was  he  enchanted  or 
dead  ?  Strange  were  the  feelings  of  the 
throng,  whom  an  unaccountable  spell  seemed 
to  chain  to  the  ground. 

The  sun  was  below  the  horizon  ;  twilight 
asserted  its  rule  ;  beast  and  bird  sought  their 
resting  places.  Nothing  stirred  in  the  air; 
not  a  syllable  fell  from  a  lip.  The  Rabbi  had 


212  IN   THE    PALE 

his  eyes  fixed  on  the  two  figures  before  him 
on  the  bench,  leaning  against  each  other, 
their  faces  hidden  by  the  white  hoods. 
Almost  imperceptibly  their  heads  inclined 
forward,  sinking  slowly,  until  their  chins 
touched  their  breasts.  i:  They  are  dead," 
whispered  the  beadle.  The  Rabbi's  coun 
tenance  turned  pale;  the  people  dispersed 
without  uttering  a  word.  Who  had  ever 
heard  of  such  a  marriage  and  such  a 
sequel  ?  Before  the  bodies  were  removed 
for  burial,  the  lupine  cat  made  her  appear 
ance,  purring  and  wralking  around  the  body 
of  her  dead  mistress. 

The  superstitious  awe  with  which  Yente 
had  been  looked  upon  while  among  the 
living,  swelled  into  fear  of  her  now  that 
she  was  dead.  Her  departure  from  life  had 
been  in  accord  with  her  whole  career.  Fur 
ther  gossip  matured  the  idea  that  blind  Selig 
had  likewise  been  a  necromancer,  the 
haunted  bath  having  been  a  fit  residence  for 
him.  Only  a  few  of  the  most  pious  elders 
attended  the  funeral  of  the  bridal  pair.  The 
dogs  howled  the  night  after  the  nuptials  as 


FRIENDS   IN    LIFE   AND    IN    DEATH        213 

well  as  the  following  night,  and  a  strong 
wind  sprang  up,  blowing  and  whining,  as 
though  animate  and  inanimate  creation  were 
joining  in  a  dirge  over  the  demise  of  the 
witch  and  her  associate.  The  people  shud 
dered  under  their  blankets.  Had  they  had 
any  doubt  about  the  witchery  of  the  de 
parted  couple,  the  uproar  in  nature  would 
have  removed  it ;  for  it  was  remembered 
that,  after  the  death  of  the  great  sorcerer 
Wovkalack,  a  cyclonic  storm  had  unroofed 
every  house  in  town,  such  being  the 
manner  in  which  the  evil  spirits  welcome  a 
doomed  soul. 

The  impression  that  the  wedding  cere 
mony  of  Yente  and  Selighad  left  on  the  eye 
witnesses  may  be  easily  imagined.  But  no 
body's  memory  was  more  haunted  by  the 
ghostly  scene  than  David's  and  Jonathan's. 
In  the  company  of  their  sweet  consorts,  un 
der  the  roof  and  at  the  hospitable  board  of 
their  generous  father-in-law,  the  young  hus 
bands  succeeded  in  whiling  away  their  days, 
frequently  amused  by  the  irrepressible  mis 
quotations  of  the  illiterate  Samson,  who 


214  IN   THE   PALE 

persisted  in  mutilating  sacred  lore.  The 
darkness  of  night,  however,  put  them  into  a 
different  frame  of  mind.  The  hoot  of  an  owl, 
the  rustling  of  the  leaves  of  a  tree,  the  flutter 
of  a  bat,  the  rattling  of  a  loose  shutter,  were 
enough  to  upset  the  equanimity  of  the  young 
men,  however  courageous  they  endeavored 
to  seem,  and  when  the  hour  came  to  retire 
for  the  night,  deep  gloom  darkened  their 
faces,  which  did  not  add  to  the  happiness  of 
the  youthful  wives. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  Miriam  and 
Leah  were  denied  their  share  of  marital  af 
fection.  The  cousins  vied  with  each  other 
in  demonstrations  of  connubial  love,  and 
the  restlessness  of  their  husbands  was  the 
only  bitter  drop  in  the  young  women's  cup 
of  bliss. 

"As  soon  as  the  light  is  out  in  our  room, 
the  phantom  of  the  ghastly  marriage  scene 
soars  before  my  eyes,  whether  open  or 
closed,"  confessed  Jonathan  to  David. 

Without  admitting  that  he  was  similarly 
haunted,  David  called  him  foolish  for  being 
afraid  of  a  dead  pauper  and  a  buried  witch. 


FRIENDS    IN   LIFE    AND   IN    DEATH        21 5 

"  I  wonder  what  has  become  of  the  hag's 
infernal  cat,"  said  Samson  one  dark  even 
ing,  unaware  of  the  palpitation  his  remark 
caused  the  hearts  of  his  sons-in-law. 

"  She  ought  to  have  been  buried  with  her 
mistress,"  thought  David. 

"  I  wish  she  were  buried,"  cried  Jonathan, 
apparently  very  much  concerned. 

"  If  I  get  hold  of  the  beast,  I  shall  send 
it  where  the  Azazel  goat  went,"  said  Sam 
son,  sure  that  his  Scriptural  allusion  was  in 
place. 

Such  was  the  mood  of  the  cousins  when 
the  three  melancholy  weeks  threw  their 
historic  shadow  over  all  the  gatherings  of 
dispersed  Israel.  This  yearly  period  of  relig 
ious  mourning  over  the  fall  of  Zion,  begin 
ning  on  the  seventeenth  of  Tammuz  with  a 
fast,  ends  on  the  ninth  of  Ab  in  a  like  man 
ner.  The  three  weeks  usually  occur  in  Aug 
ust.  During  that  space  all  joy  is  banished, 
and  the  only  idea  kept  vividly  before  the 
Jewish  mind  is  the  remembrance  of  the 
national  calamity,  too  great  ever  to  be 
forgotten.  The  gloom  increases  with  the 


2l6  IN   THE   PALE 

approach  of  the  month  of  Ab,  and  culmi 
nates  on  the  ninth  day  of  the  month.  It  is 
the  anniversary  of  the  fall  of  Israel's  Holy 
City  and  Sanctuary,  first  brought  about  by 
Nebuchadnezzar's  general,  Nebuzaradan, 
and,  at  a  later  date,  by  Titus  Vespasianus. 
The  same  day  is  also  remembered  as  the  one 
on  which  their  Catholic  Majesties,  Ferdi 
nand  and  Isabella,  out  of  deference  to  the 
Grand  Inquisitor  Torquemada,  expelled  the 
Jews  from  Spain. 

The  day  is  spent  in  fasting,  and  the  Jere 
miad,  or  Book  of  Lamentations,  is  recited  in 
the  synagogue.  Whoever  has  witnessed 
the  celebration,  as  observed  in  orthodox 
Israel,  will  never  forget  it.  Immediately 
after  sunset  the  votaries  of  the  Mosaic 
dispensation  and  of  the  traditional  law 
founded  thereon  assemble  in  their  houses 
of  worship.  The  shoes  are  taken  off,  and, 
seated  on  low  benches,  the  mourners  of  Zion 
stir  the  air  with  their  plaintive  chanting. 
The  mourning  is  so  pathetic  and  sincere  that 
one  unfamiliar  with  the  ancient  event  might 
believe  that  the  calamity  had  occurred 


FRIENDS   IN    LIFE   AND    IN   DEATH        21 7 

yesterday.  Every  year  the  faithful  expect 
some  miracle  to  happen.  Did  not  God 
promise  to  restore  divine  glory  to  His 
favored  city?  The  most  devout  prove 
their  sincerity  by  a  characteristic  act  of 
self-abnegation.  They  sleep  in  the  street 
on  straw.  It  is  believed  that  if  one  keeps 
awake  all  night,  he  will  be  vouchsafed  such 
revelations  as  only  the  prophets  were 
deigned  worthy  of. 

Samson  was  neither  last  nor  least  in  the 
public  demonstrations  of  sorrow,  which  are 
regarded  as  manifestations  of  Jewish  loy 
alty.  He  slept  in  the  open  air,  and  was 
joined  by  his  sons-in-law.  David  was  deter 
mined  not  to  close  an  eye  that  night. 

"  Will  not  the  ninth  of  Ab  be  turned  into 
a  day  of  joy  after  the  birth  of  Messiah?" 
inquired  Samson  significantly,  sure  that  a 
year  later  there  would  be  a  new  life  in  his 
house  destined  to  initiate  the  Kingdom  of 
God  here  below. 

"That  is  what  our  sages  say,"  replied 
Jonathan,  opening  a  bunch  of  straw. 

Within  the  enclosure  of  Samson's  spacious 


2l8  IN   THE   PALE 

yard  the  three  men  spread  their  bed  of  straw 
on  the  bare  earth,  and  made  themselves 
comfortable  for  the  night.  Full  of  golden 
dreams,  sound  in  digestion,  and  undisturbed 
in  conscience,  Samson,  having  said  a  prayer 
and  tucked  his  blanket  around  him,  was  soon 
in  the  land  of  Morpheus,  followed  thither  by 
Jonathan.  David  alone  struggled  against 
sleep,  straining  his  eyes  to  discern  the  mir 
acle  that  he  anticipated  among  the  stars. 

Was  it  a  dream  ?  Or  was  it  reality  ?  The 
moon  turned  yellow,  darkened,  and  vanished. 
One  after  the  other  the  constellations  of  a 
cloudless  heaven  faded,  until  the  firmament 
became  a  total  blank,  deep,  dark,  and  silent, 
like  a  graveyard  on  a  moonless  night.  Then 
came  a  myriad  howls  shivering  through  the 
air,  accompanied  by  a  Babel  of  hideous 
noises,  shrill,  hoarse,  fearful,  mingled  with 
demoniac  laughter  and  appalling  groans,  as 
though  the  whole  earth  were  an  insane 
asylum,  and  all  the  inmates  were  raving 
in  utter  darkness.  Following  the  unearthly 
uproar  came  a  convulsion  in  nature,  as  if 
the  elements  were  transgressing  their 


FRIENDS    IN   LIFE   AND   IN   DEATH        219 

bounds,  culminating  in  a  dreadful  earth 
quake.  Cataracts  of  fire  burst  forth,  from 
unfathomed  deeps,  laid  bare  by  the  universal 
upheaval.  From  one  of  the  yawning  abys 
ses  rose  a  black  bird  of  enormous  wings, 
whose  baneful  shadow,  like  the  blast  of 
the  simoom,  withered  far  and  wide  what 
ever  it  fell  upon,  transforming  beautiful 
regions  into  an  endless,  desolate  waste, 
covered  with  the  relics  of  a  decayed  world. 
In  the  wake  of  the  winged  hobgoblin  uprose 
another  still  more  hideous,  drawing  after 
him  countless  millions  of  lesser  horrors, 
which  cried :  "  Samael,  Samael,  thou  potent 
prince  of  the  nether  world,  we  are  here  to 
do  thy  behest.  Let  us  know  thy  will !" 

There  was  enough  light  to  reveal  the 
fearful  deeps  between  two  mountains, 
whence  a  host  of  winged  goblins  flocked 
upward,  covering  every  available  space  to 
the  topmost  crests  of  the  towering  peaks, 
as  migratory  birds  alight  on  a  tree,  and 
make  it  appear  a  spire  of  raven  plumage. 
Between  the  heights  the  infernal  prince, 
dimly  visible,  rose  from  the  chasm  he  filled, 


220  IN    THE    PALE 

his  lower  limbs  reaching  down  to  a  glowing 
pit.  Soaring  on  his  prodigious  wings,  he 
thus  began  in  a  voice  that  rang  like  distant 
thunder : 

"*Ye  zealous  adversaries  of  light  and  what 
that  beam  engenders  of  happiness  and  joy, 
denied  us  in  the  tempestuous  gulfs  where 
everlasting  Night,  our  silent  mother,  grins 
at  gloomy  fires,  which  her  sable  garb 
illumine  !  Conceived  in  darkness,  for  a  pur 
pose  dark,  we  but  our  inborn  impulse  follow 
in  promoting  evil  among  the  brood  of  man. 
He,  so  much  less  than  we,  enjoys  such  bless 
ings  as  we  crave  in  vain.  Imperfect  he, 
yet  preferred,  and  stationed  in  a  glorious 
world  he  scarcely  knows  how  to  value,  much 
less  to  rule,  though  claiming  sovereign  sway 
over  kingdoms  beautiful  as  heaven.  Doomed 
unguilty,  as  we  are,  who  may  of  justice 
think?  Unblamable  we,  therefore,  for 
doings  forced  on  us  by  Him  on  high  for 
ends  we  fail  to  comprehend.  Proceed  we 
then  henceforth  as  hitherto  to  foster  evil 
in  the  human  heart,  turning  earth  into  a 
vale  of  crime,  like  Sodom  and  Gomorrah, 


FRIENDS   IN    LIFE   AND   IN    DEATH        221 

till  brother  murders  brother,  less  remorseful 
than  the  beast  that  its  own  cub  devours. 
Why  scruple  as  to  means  ?  Employ  fanati 
cism,  vanity,  conceit,  jealousy,  and  greed, 
but  never  cease  to  work  until  the  mind's 
high  faculty  is  dimmed,  until  man  loses 
faith  in  Providence,  and  seeks  a  substitute 
among  the  idols  of  our  make.  Though  first 
we  be  uneasy  thus  to  warp  intelligence, 
thus  to  untune  the  music  of  the  soul  feed 
ing  on  the  harmony  of  creation,  let  us  per 
sist  until  sin  invades  it,  and  when  chaos  and 
confusion  rule  therein,  our  will  shall  prevail. 
Mankind  is  mad,  and  shall  be  maddened  till 
every  fool  proclaims  himself  his  god,  self- 
worship  being  \vorse  than  base  idolatry. 
With  no  Supreme  God  to  look  to  in  despair, 
man  will  espouse  despondency,  concluding 
that  life  is  pain,  death  the  end  of  life,  that 
love  is  lust,  religion  a  mummery,  death  a 
horror,  immortality  a  fable,  and  he  a  monkey, 
born  to  labor  with  the  brute,  live  in  sorrow, 
and  perish  like  the  worm. 

"  Such  be  our  task,  lest,  by  ever-growing 
light  irradiated  within,  man  ascend  too  high 


222  IN   THE    PALE 

for  us  to  overthrow  his  rule.  Already  does 
he  of  the  Lord's  anointed  dream.  Who 
knows,  unless  our  legions  triumph,  what 
may  happen  to  defeat  our  end ! " 

As  if  in  response  to  this  Miltonic  strain 
from  the  mouth  of  his  Satanic  Majesty, 
a  terrific  thunderbolt  convulsed  the  atmos 
phere,  and  earth  shuddered  like  a  brute 
shaking  off  uncleanness.  In  a  moment  the 
steep  acclivity  was  a  mass  of  writhing 
skeletons,  wriggling  in  agony  and  crying : 
"  Woe,  woe,  woe  ! — No  God — Death  ends  life 
—Love  is  lust— Religion  a  mummery — Im 
mortality  a  fable — Death  a  horror.  Woe, 
woe,  woe  ! — Man  a  monkey!" 

Myriad  mocking  tones  echoed  the  heart 
rending  lamentation,  fiendish  laughter  ming 
ling  with  the  blowing  of  demoniac  horns 
and  yells  of  hellish  voices.  Night  put  on 
her  raven  black,  and  the  infernal  bird  re 
turned  with  a  warning  scream,  before  which 
the  black  cohorts  fled  and  vanished  like 
vapor  before  a  cyclone.  A  shock  from  be 
neath  was  followed  by  a  crack,  as  though 
the  firmament  were  bursting  asunder.  A 


FRIENDS    IN    LIFE    AND    IN   DEATH        2.? 3 

flood  of  dazzling-  light  broke  on  the  dismal 
scene,  and  dissolved  it  into  naught.  Nature 
stood  robed  in  majestic  loveliness,  like  a 
bride  waiting  for  her  lover's  embrace.  The 
heavens  shone  with  growing  splendor,  while 
from  the  deep  azure  flowed  a  symphony  so 
enravishing  that  animate  and  inanimate 
creation  seemed  to  respond  to  the  heavenly 
strain.  Soon  the  interstellar  spaces  teemed 
with  shining  hosts  of  angels,  each  waving  a 
flaming  sword.  They  descended,  as  if  in 
pursuit  of  a  hostile  army,  led  by  a  cherub, 
who  uttered  these  words  : 

"  Ye  guardian  ministers,  be  watchful,  lest 
the  evil  ones  prevail  in  dark  design,  as  hith 
erto  they  have  by  much  retarded  creation's 
blessed  consummation  here,  where  by  self- 
imposed  sacrifice  man  must  rise  to  holiness 
and  truth,  until  earth  is  counted  one  of 
heaven's  unpolluted  spheres,  a  seat  of  song 
and  worship.  Let  not  in  him  the  brute  the 
godlike  quality  suppress,  nor  dread  of  death 
wake  in  him  despair.  His  breath,  a  part  of 
God,  is,  like  the  Source  Supreme,  immortal. 
The  open  heavens  are  there,  and  natiire's 


224  IN    THE    PALE 

living  wonders  to  inspire  him  with  faith  in 
Providential  love,  thus  revealed  to  him  in 
fulness  that  has  eyes  to  see.  How  can  he 
doubt  the  measureless  intelligence  so  fully 
spread  and  visibly  throughout  the  universe, 
whence  flow  light  and  warmth  to  nurse  him 
on  this  nether  world,  that  he  may  grow,  and 
rise,  and  worship,  overawed  and  filled  with 
gratitude  for  gifts  divine,  bestowed  un 
asked?  Let  him  of  Samae'l  beware,  how 
ever,  the  Tempter,  who  in  human  error 
revels.  Enough  of  innate  fervor  is  in  man  for 
him  to  draw  soul-stirring  inspiration  from 
ethereal  fountains,  as  the  prophets  did  in 
ages  agone." 

Here  ended  the  archangel,  overpowered 
by  a  wave  of  radiance  outshining  what 
had  seemed  at  first  the  brightest  stream  of 
the  empyrean. 

''Metatron's  shadow  yonder,  the  power  of 
the  Almighty,"  said  the  cherub  with  a  smile, 
and  faded  like  a  cloudlet,  his  host  vanishing 
with  him. 

Meanwhile,  brighter  and  brighter  shone 
the  dazzling  blaze,  and  a  sound  as  of 


FRIENDS   IN   LIFE   AND    IN   DEATH        22$ 

myriad  harps  in  angels'  hands  diffused  rap 
turous  bliss  through  endless  space.  On 
the  waves  of  light  and  song,  in  the  deepest 
blue,  amidst  a  universe  of  ineffable  glories, 
the  infinite  Merchabah  glided  through  galax 
ies,  as  a  regal  equipage  might  pass  through 
an  atmosphere  of  golden  dust.  Whatever 
grows  on  earth  shone  in  inexpressible  beauty 
under  the  holiest  beam,  making  nature 
an  interminable  paradise.  From  uncounted 
graveyards  rose  a  host  of  happy  beings, 
resurrected  to  new  life  and  felicity.  "  Thine 
is  the  glory,"  they  sang  in  grateful  recog 
nition  of  the  grace  received.  Among  them 
David  recognized  his  friend  Jonathan.  He 
rushed  to  embrace  him,  when  a  cry  of  agony 
broke  in  upon  his  mystic  vision. 

"  My  face  is  torn,  and  I  am  bleeding — here 
is  the  accursed  monster,"  cried  Jonathan. 
"  Help,  it  will  tear  out  my  eyes." 

Samson's  iron  grip  closed  round  the  neck 
of  the  enraged  beast,  which,  with  the  growl 
of  a  tiger,  buried  its  claws  in  the  flesh  of 
the  herculean  driver. 

"  It  is  Yente's  cat,"  yelled  David  at  the 


226  IN   THE    PALE 

top  of  his  voice.  Now  it  was  Samson's  turn 
to  call  for  assistance. 

"Get  a  knife  and  kill  her,  kill  her!" 
screamed  the  bleeding  man.  "There  are 
twenty  cats  and  devils  in  this  ferocious 
brute,"  added  he,  vainly  casting  about  for  a 
Scriptural  phrase. 

In  an  instant  the  beast  was  swimming  in 
its  blood ;  David  had  plunged  a  knife 
into  the  vitals  of  the  carnivorous  mon 
ster.  The  beast  died  hard,  and  its  last 
moans  sent  a  chill  .through  the  blood  of  the 
men,  convinced  as  they  were  that  the  cat  had 
been  animated  by  a  malicious  demon. 

That  the  neighborhood  was  aroused  by 
the  commotion  in  Samson's  yard,  that  the 
unheard-of  ferocity  of  the  cat  was  put  to  the 
credit  of  Yente's  immortal  hatred,  and  that 
Samson  furnished  a  number  of  biblical  quo 
tations  supposed  to  be  applicable  to  the  de 
feat  of  vile  witchery,  as  illustrated  by  his 
heroism  and  his  wounds,  need  hardly  be 
said.  The  accident  having  become  known 
early  in  the  morning,  crowds  of  people  in 
vaded  Samson's  home,  all  eager  to  see  the 


FRIENDS    IN   LIFE   AND   IN   DEATH       22; 

monstrous  brute,  and  learn  the  details  of  the 
occurrence.  Although  assisted  by  his  sons- 
in-law  in  giving  the  information  required, 
Samson  felt  himself  called  upon  in  person 
to  satisfy  everyone  to  the  best  of  his  ability, 
and  he  acquitted  himself  so  thoroughly  of 
his  self-imposed  task,  that  he  talked  him 
self  hoarse,  and  had  no  voice  to  join  in  the 
mournful  recitations  in  the  synagogue.  The 
greatest  sensation  of  the  day,  however,  was 
reserved  for  a  later  hour,  when  the  congre 
gation  had  returned  from  visiting  the  graves 
of  the  dead,  as  is  customary  on  the  ninth  of 
Ab.  Then  David  unfolded  his  transcen 
dental  vision  of  the  previous  night,  repeat 
ing  the  words  he  had  heard,  and  drawing 
the  picture  of  what  he  had  seen  with  intense 
vividness.  Was  it  not  an  adumbration  of 
the  much-prayed-f  or  Messianic  era  ?  SamaeTs 
discomfiture  means  Metatron's  triumph,  and 
Metatron  is  none  else  than  the  deathless 
Elijah,  destined  to  precede  the  coming  of 
the  true  Messiah. 

Samson  would  have  gone  into  a  rhapsody 
of  misapplied  Scriptural  allusions,  had  not 


228  IN   THE   PALE 

the  cat's  claws  put  a  damper  on  his  Mes 
sianic  enthusiasm.  Foreshadowed  evil  had 
turned  into  horrid  reality.  In  view  of  Jona 
than's  bandaged  face  and  Samson's  patched 
limbs,  Yente's  vindictive  ghost  became  an 
object  of  terror,  seeing  that  there  were  many 
crawling,  creeping,  and  bounding  things  left 
that  the  malignant  breath  of  a  witch  might 
animate  for  evil.  Samson  had  sinew  enough 
to  squeeze  a  score  of  live Yentes  into  jelly,  but 
here  was  a  phantom  horror  to  be  dealt  with. 

It  was  suggested  that  only  another  sor 
ceress  or  wizard  could  counteract  the  invisi 
ble  agencies  of  witchcraft,  but  the  Rabbi 
threatened  Samson  with  the  ban,  should 
he  dare  invoke  the  powers  of  darkness, 
heartfelt  prayer  being  the  only  legitimate 
panoply  of  a  true  Israelite.  The  good  man 
abandoned  the  idea  as  soon  as  the  spiritual 
chief  quoted  Scripture  against  it.  He  en 
deavored  to  repeat  the  phrase  told  him  in 
Balaam's  name,  and  thereafter  referred  to 
the  ancient  wizard  as  "  the  Goy  whose  ass 
spoke  in  the  Bible." 

In  a  few  days  the  excitement  subsided, 


FRIENDS    IN    LIFE   AND   IN   DEATH       229 

and  as  weeks  glided  by  without  any  re 
markable  developments,  Samson  and  his 
family  grew  calm,  and  the  solemn  month  of 
meditation  preceding  the  great  Holy  Days 
engaged  the  serious  attention  of  the  pious 
congregation. 

The  old  custom  of  rising  before  daybreak 
for  the  purpose  of  reciting  Selichoth,  that  is, 
propitiatory  invocations  and  prayers,  is 
strictly  adhered  to  wherever  old  Judaism 
rules  supreme.  Cudgel  in  hand,  the  beadle 
hurries  from  house  to  house,  and  knocks  at 
the  shutter  of  each,  at  the  same  time  calling 
out  with  stentorian  tones  :  "  Get  up  to  say 
Selichoth"  Responding  immediately,  the 
pious  gather  in  their  places  of  worship  to 
shed  tears  over  their  sins  and  aberrations. 

During  this  earnest  season  Jonathan  one 
morning  thought  that  he  had  heard  the 
beadle  call  him  up  to  join  the  crowd  in  their 
early  orisons.  In  fact,  he  was  sure  that  he 
had  heard  Samson  and  David  leave  the 
house,  after  telling  him  to  hurry  up,  and 
he  was  sorry  to  be  the  last  of  the  family  to 
enter  the  house  of  prayer.  When  he  had 


230  IN   THE    PALE 

closed  the  door  behind  him,  he  found  him 
self  in  a  gusty,  moonless  atmosphere,  and  he 
accelerated  his  steps  to  reach  the  place  dedi 
cated  to  God.  He  was  surprised  to  meet  no 
person  in  the  street  at  a  time  when  he  might 
have  expected  to  see  many  take  the  same 
direction.  Convinced  that  he  was  very  late, 
he  increased  his  speed  until  he  was  fairly 
running,  and  he  rushed  into  the  sacred 
building  without  realizing  that  not  a  sound 
was  issuing  therefrom.  On  entering  he 
was  petrified  with  horror.  The  place  was 
crowded  to  the  uttermost  with  unknown 
shapes,  all  attired  in  the  garments  of  death. 
He  was  among  the  dead.  A  vapory  lumi- 
nousness,  unaccountable  as  to  source, 
showed  a  spectacle  that  made  Jonathan's 
hair  stand  on  end.  A  muffled  hum  indi 
cated  the  presence  of  ghostly  worshippers, 
who  proceeded  to  environ  the  living  man, 
cutting  off  his  retreat,  and  forcing  him 
toward  the  centre  of  the  disembodied  as 
sembly.  The  humming  was  like  the  buzz 
of  a  distant  swarm  of  bees,  but  the  flitting 
of  the  shades,  round  and  round,  was  unique 


FRIENDS   IN   LIFE   AND   IN   DEATH         231 

and  too  awful  to  be  compared  witn  any 
thing  in  the  concrete  world.  Only  one  had 
the  power  of  speech,  and  his  voice  was  not 
unfamiliar.  "  Pass  him  a  Seliche"  was  the 
order. 

Jonathan  turned  his  head  mechanically 
toward  the  shade  that  spoke ;  it  was  Selig, 
just  as  he  had  seen  him  in  the  hour  of  his 
wedding  and  death.  From  the  opposite  side 
of  the  spacious  room,  where  the  women's 
gallery  was  situated  high  above  the  heads 
of  the  men,  an  arm  fully  sixty  feet  long 
stretched  forth  to  hand  Jonathan  the  book. 
One  look  was  sufficient  to  convince  the  terri 
fied  man  that  the  attention  was  paid  him 
by  Yente.  She  was  in  her  bridal  attire,  and 
a  smile  crossed  her  sinister  countenance,  so 
terrifying  that  Jonathan  almost  sank  under 
his  own  weight. 

He  did  not  avail  himself  of  the  courtesy, 
and  lost  no  time  in  looking  for  his  friends  of 
shorter  limbs.  Rushing  towards  the  door, 
he  found  the  audience  as  yielding  as  air. 
Once  in  the  street,  he  sped  homeward  at  a 
rate  more  creditable  to  his  heels  than  to  his 


232  IN    THE    PALE 

dignity.  He  felt  considerably  relieved  on 
recognizing  in  the  dimness  the  familiar  out 
lines  of  his  genial  father-in-law.  Taking  a 
long  breath,  he  unfolded  the  spectral  tale  of 
the  longimanous  adventure.  In  answer, 
Samson,  usually  so  unsophisticated,  smiled 
so  broad  a  smile  that  to  make  room  for  it 
his  visage  dilated  to  amazing  dimensions, 
and  shot  forth  a  sixty  yards  tongue,  which, 
like  a  huge  serpent,  he  wound  round  his  pro 
digious  frame.  This  was  too  much  for 
Jonathan.  He  ran  to  his  home,  where  he 
found  all  sound  asleep.  On  awakening,  his 
wife  discovered  that  he  had  swooned.  Re 
vived  with  difficulty,  he  told  his  tale,  fell 
sick,  raved  about  ghosts  and  goblins,  and 
died. 

Of  course,  there  was  great  consternation 
in  the  community  and  a  youthful  widow  in 
the  house  of  Samson,  who  resented  the  hob 
goblin's  having  borrowed  his  features  to 
distort  them  for  the  ruin  of  his  son-in-law. 
Instead  of  becoming  the  grandfather  of  the 
Messiah,  he  had  a  widowed  daughter,  and 
lived  in  perfect  horror  of  something  darker 


FRIENDS    IN    LIFE   AND   IN    DEATH        233 

to  come.  Nor  did  he  stand  alone  in  his 
gloomy  forebodings.  A  sense  of  insecurity 
seized  the  entire  population  of  Choinick,  in 
cluding  non-Jews,  whose  dread  of  witchcraft 
exceeds  that  of  their  Hebrew  neighbors. 

Benjamin,  the  lessee  of  the  public  bath, 
offered  to  state  under  oath  that  he  had  seen 
Yente,  Selig,  and  the  cat  glide  out  of  the  dead 
woman's  deserted  shanty  at  a  late  hour  in 
the  evening,  and  vanish  in  the  air,  and  chil 
dren  reported  that  they  had  seen  the  cat  on 
the  hearth  in  the  hovel  long  after  she  was 
known  to  be  dead. 

A  portentous  symptom  was  the  incessant 
howling  of  dogs  at  night,  heretofore  rarely 
noticed,  except  after  the  death  of  some 
notorious  witch  or  wizard.  In  short,  what 
ever  superstition  could  be  associated  with 
the  abandoned  nest  of  a  dead  sorceress,  was 
linked  with  the  miserable  hole  once  occu 
pied  by  the  crone  and  her  cat. 

After  the  burial  of  the  lamented  Jona 
than,  it  occurred  to  David  that  the  dead 
man  was  bound  by  an  oath  to  communicate 
with  him  about  things  in  the  world  of  mys- 


234  IN    THE   PALE 

tery.  David's  anxiety  to  prevent  the  prom 
ised  information  from  reaching  him  was  not 
small.  How  could  a  ghost  be  restrained 
from  surprising  him  in  the  dead  of  night 
with  harrowing  details  of  another  life? 
The  circumstances  of  Jonathan's  death  sug 
gested  blood-curdling  possibilities.  What 
was  to  be  done  ?  Acting  on  the  Rabbi's 
advice,  ten  honored  elders  repaired  to  the 
grave  of  Jonathan,  and  solemnly  informed 
him  that  his  friend  cheerfully  relieved  him 
of  his  promise  to  reveal  the  unrevealed; 
that,  in  fact,  he  would  be  pleased  to  be  left 
unmolested.  To  make  things  doubly  sure, 
the  warning  was  added,  that  it  was  in  the 
power  of  the  living  to  make  it  uncomfort 
able  for  the  dead  by  excluding  certain  names 
from  the  prayers  for  the  dead  in  the  syna 
gogue. 

This  ruse  worked  as  long  as  the  sun 
shone,  but  when  twilight  set  in,  Samson  felt 
uneasy,  and  David  fairly  trembled  at  the 
likelihood  of  a  nocturnal  call  that  might 
end  his  existence. 

A  new  sensation  was  created  by  Benja- 


FRIENDS   IN    LIFE   AND   IN   DEATH       235 

min's  sickness.  He  lay  speechless,  stricken 
by  a  mysterious  something,  which  his  wife 
thought  must  have  been  either  Yente's 
evil  eye  or  Selig's  stick,  both  of  which, 
he  asserted,  he  had  felt  repeatedly  when 
he  had  met  them  between  the  deserted 
hovel  and  the  bath,  threatening  him  and 
vanishing  in  the  air.  Benjamin  died. 

The  gruesome  wedding  scene  ever  before 
his  mind's  eye,  and  the  dark  happenings  of 
a  near  past  fresh  in  his  memory,  it  needed 
more  than  ordinary  courage  for  David  to  see 
the  shades  of  night  gather  without  a  palpi 
tating  heart.  To  add  to  his  dismay,  his 
Leah  refused  to  stay  with  him  at  a  time 
when  companionship  was  a  precious  boon  to 
him.  The  young  woman  feared  that  Jona 
than's  ghost  might  emerge  from  the  dark 
with  news  which  she  was  far  from  anxious 
to  learn.  Samson  had  to  fill  the  place  of 
his  daughter,  who  went  over  to  Miriam's 
room.  At  any  other  time  David  would  have 
objected  to  him  as  a  substitute  for  his  wife ; 
as  matters  stood,  however,  Samson's  kind 
ness  was  duly  appreciated. 


236  IN   THE   PALE 

This  cloud  darkened  Samson's  home  until 
time  dispersed  it.  Uneventful  years  passed 
by,  and  the  conclusion  was  reached,  that 
either  the  measure  taken  by  the  pious  men 
had  had  the  desired  eff  ect,which  was  thought 
likely  enough,  or  the  dead  were  dead,  and 
were  not  permitted  to  reveal  what  Provi 
dence  decreed  was  to  remain  hidden.  It  was 
argued  that,  if  the  dead  were  allowed  to 
divulge  to  the  living  all  they  knew,  nothing 
would  be  left  to  inspire  awe.  Furthermore, 
there  were  such  horrors  to  be  revealed  as 
can  be  faced  only  by  the  dead,  who  can 
stand  a  great  deal  more  than  the  living, 
and  this  could  not  be  denied. 

This  reasoning  induced  Leah,  to  poor  Sam 
son's  great  delight,  to  resume  connubial 
relations  with  her  disconsolate  husband, 
and  Kalmon,  the  Shadchan,  was  on  the 
outlook  for  a  respectable  widower  to  make 
Miriam  happy. 

One  morning  there  was  great  stir  and 
agitation  in  and  about  the  house  of  the 
honest  driver.  Pale  faces,  tears,  the  Rab 
bi's  presence,  the  undertaker's  expectant 


FRIENDS   IN    LIFE    AND   IN   DEATH       237 

look,  all  told  a  tale  of  sorrow.  What  had 
happened  ?  David  dead  ?  No.  Alive  ?  No. 
Sick  ?  No.  What  then  ?  In  a  few  mo 
ments  it  was  known  that  David  was  neither 
alive  nor  dead.  He  was  in  a  trance.  His 
eyes  were  open,  his  breast  hove  and  fell, 
laboring  to  inhale  the  vital  element ;  his 
pulse  indicated  feverish  heat  within,  but  he 
was  manifestly  lost  to  all  consciousness.  In 
a  few  minutes  the  house  was  besieged  by 
throngs  of  friends,  the  whole  congregation. 
Everybody  suggested  a  remedy,  and  every 
remedy  was  tried  in  vain.  They  gave  him 
snuff,  but  he  would  not  sneeze;  they  tickled 
him,  but  he  would  not  laugh  ;  they  held  a 
burning  taper  before  his  open  eyes,  it  did  not 
disturb  him  in  the  least ;  the  sacred  shophar 
was  sounded  in  his  ear,  he  moved  no  muscle; 
a  hot  plate  was  applied  to  his  bare  soles, 
he  remained  passive.  Yet,  though  he  was 
dead  in  appearance,  life  was  visibly  flowing 
through  his  veins.  The  people  were  amazed, 
and  the  non-Jewish  physician  assured  them 
that  it  was  one  of  the  rarest  phenomena  for 
a  man  to  be  dead  and  alive  at  the  same  time. 


238  IN   THE   PALE 

The  question  arose  whether  a  similar  oc 
currence  was  anywhere  recorded  in  Israel's 
traditional  or  legendary  lore.  Certainly; 
here  are  two  illustrations :  A  famous  sage 
died.  His  wife,  instead  of  giving  him  up  for 
burial,  kept  his  body  in  an  upper  chamber, 
believing,  as  she  did,  that  the  righteous 
never  die.  There  he  continued  for  many 
years  undecayed,  yea,  life-like,  though  unfed 
and  breathless.  The  wonder  of  the  tale  is 
heightened,  when  it  is  added  that  the  man 
having  died  without  leaving  a  competence 
to  sustain  his  family,  the  brave  widow 
helped  herself  by  causing  contending  parties 
to  state  their  differences  before  the  door  of 
her  dead  husband,  and  his  voice  gave  the 
decisions.  The  fees  thus  secured  supported 
the  family.  This  went  on  for  eighteen  years, 
when  the  widow,  who  daily  attended  to  the 
cleanliness  of  her  husband's  body,  found  a 
little  worm  in  one  of  his  ears,  and  took  it  as 
a  hint  that  the  time  had  come  to  restore  him 
to  eternal  rest. 

Of  another  light  in  Israel  it  is  recorded, 
that  he  was  put  into  a  trance  for  seventy 


FRIENDS    IN   LIFE   AND   IN   DEATH       239 

years  merely  to  convince  him  that  even  so 
long  a  space  may,  by  the  will  of  God,  pass 
like  a  dream.  The  venerable  teacher 
had  not  been  able  to  realize  how  a  ban 
ishment  of  seventy  years  from  Zion 
could  be  spoken  of  as  a  dream.  Pondering1 
on  the  Psalm  in  which  this  expression 
occurs,  he  passed  out  of  the  city  gate,  and, 
feeling  tired,  stretched  himself  under  a 
tree  to  rest.  An  impenetrable  maze  of 
shrubs  and  foliage,  called  forth  for  the  pur 
pose,  hid  the  sleeper  for  seventy  years  from 
the  eye  of  man  and  brute,  the  seven  decades 
gliding  by  like  a  dream  of  as  many  minutes. 
Awaking  from  what  he  believed  to  have 
been  a  nap,  the  sage  proceeded  homeward. 
What  was  it  that  struck  him  with  astonish 
ment?  Neither  the  scenery  nor  the  sur 
roundings  appeared  the  same  as  he  had 
known  them.  He  did  not  recognize  his 
beloved  home.  The  town  was  full  of  un 
known  people.  At  his  own  school  he  found 
teachers  he  had  never  met,  surrounded  by  a 
generation  as  foreign  to  him  as  he  was  to 
them.  Was  it  a  dream  ?  On  hearing  him- 


240  IN    THE    PALE 

self  quoted  as  an  authority  of  a  former  age, 
he  understood  that  he  had  undergone  a  most 
wonderful  experience.  He  had  slept  seventy 
years.  Feeling-  himself  a  stranger  in  a  time 
for  which  he  was  not  intended,  he  prayed  to 
be  withdrawn,  and  his  prayer  was  granted. 

When  Samson  heard  that  David's  trance 
might  extend  over  a  period  of  seventy 
years,  in  which  case  he  should  have  two 
young  widows  to  provide  for  and  a  half 
dead  son-in-law  in  the  bargain,  he  exclaimed 
in  despair :  "  This  is  as  bad  as  all  the  bad 
things  in  the  Book  of  Job  and  a  little  worse. 
You  can  do  something  with  a  live  man. 
You  can  do  something  with  a  dead  man. 
But  what  shall  one  do  with  a  man  who  is 
neither  alive  nor  dead  ?"  The  logic  of  the 
statement  did  not  change  the  case. 

A  new  fear  was  aroused  by  the  doctor's 
hint  that,  should  the  trance  continue  for 
weeks,  science  would  demand  the  dissection 
of  David's  body,  in  which  case  it  would 
have  to  be  transported  to  the  college  of 
anatomy  in  the  University  of  Kieff.  This 
coincided  with  the  popular  prejudice  con- 


FRIENDS    IN   LIFE    AND   IN   DEATH       241 

cerning  the  infernal  doings  of  doctors, 
when  their  curiosity  is  roused  as  to  how 
some  incurable  disease  is  healed,  or  why  a 
certain  ill  cannot  be  cured.  In  each  case 
the  dissecting  knife  is  applied.  Samson 
was  horrified  at  the  idea,  and  the  doctor  got 
what  he  expected,  a  handsome  bribe  to  keep 
his  peace.  But  this  apprehension  was  soon 
removed.  The  trance  lasted  only  a  day  and 
a  night. 

When  David  returned  to  consciousness, 
he  thrilled  with  awe  those  who  listened  to 
his  account  of  his  meeting  with  Jonathan. 
Death,  Jonathan  had  told  him,  was  by  no 
means  so  terrible  a  spectre  as  he  is  assumed 
to  be.  Death  is  neither  covered  all  over 
with  eyes,  as  tradition  paints  him;  nor  does 
he  brandish  a  burning  sword  ;  nor  does  he 
bear  bladders  filled  with  deadly  gall,  nor 
vials  full  of  poison.  Death  is  a  large  cherub 
of  pale  countenance  and  placid  eyes,  soaring 
on  two  wings,  and  gently  drawing  life  out 
of  him  whose  end  has  come.  Here  is  Jona 
than's  report : 

"  When  I  beheld  the  winged  cherub  over- 
16 


242  IN   THE    PALE 

shadow  my  bed,  I  felt  that  my  hour  had 
come.  Like  an  immense  eagle  poising  over 
his  prey,  the  dark  power  hovered  over  me, 
draining  my  life,  until  I  felt  a  sensation  as 
though  a  crust  of  ice  enfolded  me,  leaving 
me  in  utter  oblivion. 

"  How  long  I  remained  in  this  inanimate 
condition,  I  am  unable  to  say.  At  a  cer 
tain  moment  there  came  a  something  over 
me  that  disturbed  my  rest.  That  some 
thing  kept  me  awake  in  spite  of  the  insidi 
ous  attacks  of  overwhelming  sleep.  The 
narrow  walls  which  enclosed  me  suited  my 
condition,  my  body  being  perfectly  content 
to  rest  where  it  lay  encased.  The  influence 
that  worked  on  me  from  without,  however, 
proved  too  strong  to  be  long  resisted,  so  that 
I  was  bodily  raised  out  of  my  grave  to  face 
an  angel  in  silvery  garb.  He  looked  majes 
tic,  covered  a  league  with  his  outspread 
wings,  and  diffused  lustre  like  that  of  the 
unclouded  moon.  He  called  me  with  domes 
tic  familiarity,  and  informed  me  that  he  was 
sent  to  lead  me  to  the  place  where  my  record 
had  been  examined  and  found  wanting. 


FRIENDS   IN   LIFE   AND   IN   DEATH        243 

"  Off  he  swept  like  lightning,  drawing  me 
after  him,  like  a  leaf  caught  in  a  cyclone. 
He  plunged  into  an  abyss  with  so  precipi 
tous  a  fall  as  in  a  second  sent  us  adown  thou 
sands  of  miles  through  dense  night.  We 
landed  in  a  desolate  rotunda,  hemmed  in  by 
black  rocks  of  smoking  sulphur.  The  me- 
phitic  vapors  were  terrible,  but  they  did  not 
hurt  me. 

"  Before  me  stood  the  radiant  angel  of 
j  ustice,  balance  in  hand,  on  which  my  life  was 
weighed.  I  could  review  it  from  beginning 
to  end,  a  perfect  individuality  bearing  my 
impress.  The  volume  of  its  spotted  body 
weighed  down  the  dark  side  of  the  balance; 
its  limbs  dangled  on  the  other  side,  signify 
ing  my  meritorious  deeds  outbalanced  by 
the  weight  of  sin. 

"  In  the  next  moment  the  dismal  space 
teemed  with  legions  black  and  white,  the 
bright  ones  shielding  me  from  the  fury  of 
the  black  demons,  who  threatened  to  tear 
me  to  pieces.  They  were  all  my  own,  typify 
ing  my  good  and  my  evil  deeds,  each  host 
claiming  its  master.  Among  the  fiends 


244  IN   THE   PALE 

were  Yente  and  Selig,  who  incited  the  gob 
lins  against  me.  It  was  a  critical  moment. 
The  load  of  evil  was  so  entirely  out  of  pro 
portion  to  the  amount  of  good  that  I  gave 
myself  up  as  lost.  While  the  furious  war 
was  waged  between  the  adverse  hosts, 
there  emerged  on  a  sudden  lame  Hirsh,  my 
first  instructor  in  Hebrew,  whose  chronic 
poverty  I  often  relieved  by  the  small  atten 
tions  we  are  in  the  habit  of  showing  to  those 
that  watch  over  our  childhood.  Hirsh, 
you  know,  was  more  of  a  kind  nurse  than 
a  pedagogue,  watching  affectionately  over  a 
herd  of  little  tots  entrusted  to  hi3  care, 
teaching  them  the  Hebrew  alphabet,  and 
recounting  marvellous  tales,  in  which  the 
ever-roaming  Elijah  was  the  central  hero. 
The  man  came  halting,  one  mass  of  bundles 
and  baskets  and  a  variety  of  things  received 
at  our  home  on  all  occasions.  These  he 
threw  in  together  with  himself  for  my  salva 
tion.  Down  came  the  fateful  scale  with  a 
click  in  my  favor.  The  cherub  of  mercy  ap 
peared  on  the  scene,  and,  by  a  touch  of  his 
wand,  raised  my  soul  from  the  black  abode. 


FRIENDS   IN   LIFE    AND   IN   DEATH        245 

"  Off  we  darted  with,  the  speed  of  light  to 
ward  a  great  blaze,  which  broke  on  us  from 
the  first  of  the  seven  heavens.  At  the  en 
trance  of  the  first  heaven,  I  was  met  by 
father  Abraham,  shining  like  the  sun.  He 
knew  me,  and  welcomed  me  with  a  smile  of 
paternal  benignity. 

"  *  Your  lame  teacher  saved. you  from  many 
years  of  torment  in  yon  dark  abodes,  re 
served  for  the  deluded  of  the  erring  race. 
Ah,  if  my  descendants  on  earth  only  knew 
how  insignificant:  things  combine  to  stamp 
a  man  good  or  bad,  they  would  be  more 
careful  in  their  words  and  dealings.  What 
have  I  done  to  be  holding  thus  the  gate  of 
the  heavens  ?  My  knowledge  of  things  in 
general  was  limited,  but  my  heart  was  faith 
ful  and  unselfish.  As  long  as  all-controlling 
selfishness  sways  the  minds  of  the  race,  it  is 
vain  to  count  on  the  Messianic  redemption. 
Who  cannot  cherish  the  virtues  associated 
with  my  name  ?  It  is  so  much  easier  to  be 
righteous  than  to  be  crooked  that  only 
idiots  deliver  themselves  to  vice.' 

"This   plain    talk    of    our    patriarch    re- 


246  IN   THE   PALE 

minded  me  of  my  wife  below,  and  I  asked 
my  angelic  guide  to  let  me  have  a  glimpse 
of  Miriam.  He  informed  me  that  earth  was 
so  far  beneath  that  it  would  take  a  stone, 
dropped  from  the  spot  whereon  we  stood, 
five  cycles  to  strike  solid  ground.  He  fur 
ther  stated,  that  the  upper  skies  were  many 
thousand  times  higher,  one  above  the  other, 
and  above  the  seventh  heaven  the  Mer- 
chabah  occupied  more  space  than  all  the 
heavens  combined,  more  than  figures  can 
tell,  or  human  brain  conceive  of. 

"  I  should  have  felt  sorry  to  be  so  far  away 
from  my  dear  Miriam,  had  it  not  been  for  the 
celestial  wonders  that  engaged  my  atten 
tion,  especially  the  heavenly  music  made  by 
cherub  choirs,  wearing  garlands  of  unfading 
flowers  and  shining  like  burnished  gold  un 
der  a  perfect  sun.  The  delights  are  en 
hanced  by  the  acquired  power  of  flight  from 
heaven  to  heaven,  from  star  to  star.  It  is  a 
felicity,  which  words  cannot  describe,  be 
cause  inconceivable  in  the  state  of  mor 
tality. 

"When   he    had   told    me    all   this,   the 


FRIENDS    IN   LIFE    AND   IN    DEATH        247 

angel  of  mercy  bade  me  adieu,  and  I  was 
left  to  look  out  for  myself,  which  implied  no 
hardship  whatsoever.  There  being1  neither 
hunger  nor  thirst,  the  soul  feeds  on  the 
numberless  glories  spread  in  profusion. 

"  Other  beings  j  oined  me,  and  one  proposed 
that  we  ascend  to  the  second  sky.  They 
were  all  admitted  by  Moses  except  myself. 
The  lawgiver  informed  me  that  there  was 
an  item  in  his  records  against  me,  preclud 
ing  my  immediate  entrance  into  the  higher 
Elysian  regions.  I  had  to  fulfil  the  agree 
ment  we  had  entered  into  before  our  mar 
riage.  With  the  utmost  velocity  I  hurried 
earthward,  promising  myself  deep  joy  from 
a  visit  to  my  dearest  ones.  Great  was  my 
disappointment  on  finding  it  impossible  to 
commune  with  a  soul  enshrined  in  a  mortal 
frame.  I  had  no  means  of  approaching  my 
consort,  and  how  acquit  myself  of  my  prom 
ise  to  you  ?  The  latter  problem  I  solved  by 
throwing  you  into  a  trance." 

Here  Jonathan  closed,  promising  to  give 
more  information  in  course  of  time.  Da 
vid  assured  his  friend  that  he  knew 


248  IN   THE    PALE 

enough  to  last  him  all  his  life.  The  only 
favor  he  asked  was,  that  Yente  be  hereafter 
restrained  from  molesting  Samson  and  his 
family.  It  was  at  this  point  that  David's 
trance  was  broken.  The  good  fellow  sneezed 
heartily,  and  was  again  among  the  living. 

Henceforth  there  was  peace  in  Choinick. 
Yente's  hovel  was  demolished,  and  Benja 
min's  widow  was  allowed  to  use  of  it  what 
ever  could  be  burned  to  heat  the  bath. 
The  strangest  incident  in  the  affair  was  the 
discovery  of  the  hoard  supposed  to  have 
been  stolen  by  David.  It  appeared  that  in 
spite  of  Yente's  terrific  cat  her  miserable 
hovel  had  been  honey-combed  by  a  colony  of 
rats.  The  rodents  had  undermined  the 
hearth,  thus  causing  the  treasure  to  sink 
under  its  own  weight  out  of  sight  and  be 
yond  reach.  David's  innocence  was  estab 
lished,  and  the  Rabbi  decided  that  the  re 
covered  hoard  was  to  be  devoted  to  the 
alleviation  of  misery  among  the  faithful  in 
the  Holy  Land. 


CZAR    NICHOLAS    THE    FIRST   AND 
SIR    MOSES    MOXTEFIORE 

THE  Yeshiba  is  a  Jewish  College  in 
Russia  at  which  nothing  but  the  Tal 
mud  and  its  commentaries  is  taught,  and 
a  pupil  at  such  schools,  of  which  many 
exist,  is  called  Yeshiba-Bachur,  a  synonym 
for  student  of  the  Talmud.  The  head  of 
each  of  these  Colleges  is  honored  as  the 
RosJi  ha-Yes/nba.  His  office  is  to  expound 
daily  except  Friday  and  Saturday  a  por 
tion  of  the  Gcmara  with  pilpulistic  sub 
tleties,  which  the  first  or  highest  class  of 
the  institution  must  know  fully,  and  the 
second  class  partly.  The  students  are  given 
efficient  assistance  by  a  "  repeater,"  in  this 
case  not  a  revolver,  but  a  thorough  Talmud- 
ist  engaged  for  the  purpose.  The  third  or 
preparatory  class  is  enjoined  to  listen  atten 
tively,  but  is  not  required  to  know  more 
than  the  plain  text  and  its  commentaries. 
The  examination  takes  place  at  the  end  of 
(-49) 


250  IN   THE    PALE 

the  week.  It  is  characteristic  of  the 
Yeshiboth  that  the  bulk  of  their  students 
come  from  other  cities,  and  wholly  de 
pend  for  their  board  on  the  kindness  of 
the  towns-people.  Some  are  fortunate 
enough  to  become  regular  boarders  in  hos 
pitable  homes,  but  this  is  rare.  The  Bachur 
is  prepared  to  eat  his  seven  weekly  dinners 
in  seven  different  houses,  and  to  sleep 
among  scores  of  his  fellows  on  the  benches 
of  the  large  school-house,  his  head  resting 
on  the  pillow  he  has  brought  in  his  box 
along  with  a  number  of  nondescript  articles. 
Coming  as  he  does  from  an  humble  home, 
he  does  not  feel  the  need  of  a  dormitory. 
He  is  ever  in  excellent  humor,  unless  he 
has  missed  a  couple  of  meals,  which  hap 
pens  only  too  often,  is  ambitious  to  be  dis 
tinguished  and  promoted,  and  is  strongly 
inclined  to  migrate  in  the  hope  of  securing 
more  comfort  in  another  Yeshiba. 

There  are  famous  Yeshiboth  in  Russia,  open 
only  to  such  as  are  able  to  pass  a  very  exact 
ing  examination  in  the  unnumbered  chapters 
of  traditional  lore.  In  exceptional  instances, 


NICHOLAS    I    AND    MOSES    MONTEFIORE      251 

one  man  of  means  supports  the  whole  insti 
tution;  in  others,  the  Yeshiba  is  sustained  by 
subscriptions  and  donations.  The  S/iad- 
chan,  of  course,  has  his  eye  on  the  " lights" 
of  these  schools,  and  many  an  unbeautiful 
maiden  of  rich  parents  has  been  made 
happy  by  her  marriage  to  a  brilliant  Bachur. 
The  " lights"  are  exceptions,  however.  As 
a  rule,  the  Bachurim  are  left  to  themselves, 
but  their  isolation  and  monotonous  life  are 
greatly  relieved  by  the  sociability  that  pre 
vails  among  them,  by  the  songs  and  the  wit 
of  some,  and  by  the  stories  of  others.  Bibli 
cal  plays  are  composed  and  produced,  and  if 
there  is  anything  in  the  city  to  be  laughed 
at,  you  may  count  on  its  comical  discussion 
or  reproduction  in  the  Yeshiba.  In  fact, 
the  poor  Bachur  is  every  inch  a  student,  and 
youth  expresses  itself  in  him  as  it  does  in 
the  attendants  of  the  University.  He  is 
credited,  moreover,  with  great  shrewdness, 
and  many  a  story  is  current  of  the  strate 
gies  he  resorts  to,  where  miserliness  closes 
the  door  against  him.  Here  is  an  instance. 
It  is  a  rule  among  the  Jewish  residents 


252  IN    THE    PALE 

of  villages  to  keep  "  open  table,"  that  is,  to 
welcome  any  who  may  come  to  their  hos 
pitable  board,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  ped 
dlers  are  poor  people,  and  cannot  get  kosher 
food  in  a  village.  This  admirable  hospi 
tality  is  not  emulated  by  the  modest  tavern- 
keeper,  who  often  declines  to  sacrifice 
his  small  earnings  to  the  patriarchal  ideal. 
Now,  it  happened  that  a  poor  Baclinr,  on  his 
way  from  one  Yeshiba  to  another,  arrived  on 
a  Friday  at  a  place  in  which  there  was  but 
one  Jewish  resident,  the  inn-keeper,  and  he 
not  of  the  hospitable  kind.  He  was  re 
ceived  very  coldly,  and,  being  hungry  and 
having  no  money,  he  contemplated  with 
alarm  the  prospect  of  enjoying  a  long  fast 
instead  of  a  feast.  He  smelt  the  dinner, 
and  saw  the  fuming  dishes  served.  His 
mouth  watered,  but  he  was  left  severely 
alone.  An  idea  struck  him.  With  a  face 
as  earnest  as  that  of  a  priest  celebrating 
high  mass,  he  called  the  host  aside,  looked 
furtively  around,  as  if  to  assure  himself  that 
his  secret  would  not  be  overheard  by  a  third 
party,  and  asked  in  a  whisper  what  he  sup- 


NICHOLAS    I    AND    MOSES    MONTEFIORE      253 

posed  a  diamond  about  as  large  as  a  pigeon 
egg  and  as  scintillating  as  a  star  was 
worth  ?  The  question  surprised  the  un 
friendly  host,  whose  features,  hitherto  as 
rigid  as  those  of  a  police  magistrate,  soft 
ened  into  a  dubious  smile.  If  the  young 
fellow  had  the  jewel  he  spoke  of,  and  did 
not  know  its  value,  what  a  chance  to  make 
a  fortune! 

"  A  diamond  of  the  kind  and  size  you  de 
scribe  may  be  worth  two  hundred  roubles," 
said  the  shrewd  tavern-keeper  with  the  air 
of  an  experienced  jeweler. 

"  Two  hundred  roubles  !  Why,  Shapirsky 
of  Yurevitz  told  me  that  the  precious  stone 
would  bring  at  least  four  hundred,"  asserted 
the  BacJiur. 

"It  all  depends  upon  what  kind  of  a 
stone  it  is,"  remarked  the  inhospitable  host, 
anxious  to  secure  the  confidence  of  the 
youth.  "  It  may  be  worth  even  more  than 
that." 

"  If  a  man  has  a  jewel  like  the  one  I 
should  so  much  desire  to  sell,  he,  of  course, 
tries  to  dispose  of  it  at  the  highest  price 


254  IN   THE   PALE 

possible,"  explained  the  hungry  wanderer, 
and  resumed  his  seat  in  the  cold  corner, 
while  the  other  looked  for  his  wife  to 
enkindle  her  mind  by  the  brilliancy  of 
the  diamond.  The  woman  was  dazzled 
by  the  report  of  the  sparkling  stone,  and 
the  next  moment  she  stood  before  the 
young  man,  urging  him  to  partake  of  a  meal 
which  she  had  set  out  for  him  in  the  adjoin 
ing  room,  to  make  himself  sociable,  and  stay 
with  them  over  the  Sabbath.  King  Solo 
mon's  crown  jewels  were  the  topic  of 'the  holy 
day,  and  the  youthful  roamer  had  a  good 
deal  to  say  about  the  treasures  of  Ophir,  so 
that  the  host  and  the  hostess  thought  and 
dreamed  of  nothing  but  diamonds.  The 
Sabbath  over,  the  kind  tavern-keeper  offered 
to  hitch  up  his  horse  and  take  his  friend  of 
the  jewel  a  few  miles  in  the  direction  of  his 
destination.  The  offer  was  accepted,  but 
the  student  talked  of  everything  but  jewels. 
When  finally  asked  to  produce  the  stone 
that  he  had  for  sale,  he  said  that  he  had 
never  had  one. 

"  You    have    no     diamond  ? "     cried    the 


NICHOLAS    I   AND   MOSES    MONTEFIORE      255 

greedy  villager  disappointed.  "  Why  did 
you  inquire  about  its  value  so  earnestly,  and 
talk  about  its  brilliant  quality?" 

"Why?  Shall  I  allow  people  to  fool  me  in 
case  I  find  a  diamond,  as  others  have  done?" 
returned  the  Bachur.  "Should  not  a  man 
know  something  of  so  important  a  matter  ?  " 

The  host  asked  no  further  questions,  and 
turned  his  horse  homeward. 

As  for  the  Bachur  s  inventive  genius,  let 
the  following  two  tales  speak  for  them 
selves. 

*  *  -5f  -5f  -X-  -5f  -X- 

When  the  death  of  Alexander  the  First 
placed  his  son,  Nicholas  the  First,  on  the 
throne  of  the  Czars,  the  Russian  Hebrews 
did  not  count  on  considerate  treatment 
from  the  new  Czar.  All  they  prayed  for 
was  to  be  left  unmolested  in  the  exercise 
of  their  religion,  however  unenviable  their 
state  might  otherwise  be.  But,  like  all  the 
Romanoffs,  Nicholas  was  a  very  orthodox 
Czar.  His  anxiety  to  bring  his  Jews  under 
the  eaves  of  the  Greek  Catholic  Church 
assumed  the  nature  of  a  passion.  "One 


IN   THE    PALE 

Church,  one  Russia,"  was  his  motto,  in 
herited  from  a  rigidly  autocratic  lineage. 
Neither  Gibraltar  nor  Sebastopol  are  im 
pregnable  fortresses;  both  have  been 
stormed  and  taken.  Not  so  the  settled 
mind  of  a  thoroughly  orthodox  Jew.  In 
his  case  the  all-conquering  Alexanders  and 
Napoleons  have  failed.  That  phenomenal 
specimen  of  ancient  humanity  has  periodi 
cally  been  subjected  to  a  variety  of  theo 
logical  experiments,  with  the  disheartening 
result  that,  after  he  has  been  starved,  flayed, 
stewed,  roasted  alive,  immured,  impaled, 
and  has  passed  through  almost  every  opera 
tion  performed  with  the  thumbscrew  and 
the  dissecting  knife,  he  continues  to  live  as 
though  all  these  anatomic  attentions  had 
been  paid  to  the  man  in  the  moon.  "  Once 
a  Jew,  forever  a  Jew,"  is  his  motto,  and  he 
has  taught  the  world  -that  airy  nothings 
may  survive  emperors  and  empires. 

Nicholas  discovered  this  early,  and  set 
about  devising  means  and  methc  "j  of  con 
version,  other  than  those  associated  with  the 
career  of  Thomas  Torquemada.  Theortho- 


NICHOLAS   I   AND   MOSES   MONTEFIORE      257 

dox  Czar  made  up  his  mind  to  "beat  the 
world's  record."  If  the  adult  Hebrew  was  a 
thing  the  devil  could  not  save  from  perdition, 
what  might  not  be  done  with  his  unfossil- 
ized  brood?  Once  removed  from  parental 
influence,  the  youthful  offspring  of  stiff- 
necked  Judah  would  sooner  or  later  submit 
to  pressure,  especially  if  the  life-saving  dis 
pensation  is  impressed  with  military  em 
phasis. 

Thus  it  came  to  pass  that  under  Nicholas 
the  First  Slavonic  Israel  experienced  op 
pression  equal  in  many  respects  to  that 
sustained  by  the  Jews  under  the  rule  of 
Antiochus  Epiphanes.  An  imperial  Ukase 
commanded  that  Jewish  boys  be  enrolled 
in  the  army  at  an  early  age,  at  which  re 
sistance  to  conversion  might  easily  be  over 
come  either  by  corporal  punishment  or  by 
temptations.  The  Ukase  spread  consterna 
tion  among  families  with  boys  answering  the 
demand  of  the  inexorable  autocrat.  The 
children  had  to  be  delivered  at  a  fixed  date. 
Desolation  and  anguish  reigned  in  thou 
sands  of  Jewish  houses.  The  Chassidim  in 


258  IN   THE   PALE 

their  bitterness  of  heart  roared  out  furiously 
against  the  cruelties  of  Edom,  and  watched 
the  starry  heavens  for  a  sign  indicative  of 
Providential  displeasure,  but  the  stars  took 
no  notice  of  Israel's  sorrow.  The  imperial 
will  was  enforced  yearly,  multiplying1  tears, 
misery,  and  converts,  and  mothers  ran  to  the 
sacred  Ark  of  the  Covenant  to  pray  that 
their  children  die  rather  than  be  forced  into 
an  idolatrous  Church. 

What  was  the  joy  and  surprise  of  the 
Russian  Hebrews,  when  they  heard  that  one 
of  their  faith,  Moses  Montefiore,  had  been 
received  with  honors  at  the  court  of  the 
Czar ;  that  he  had  come  to  St.  Petersburg 
to  plead  in  behalf  of  his  persecuted  brethren, 
and  that  his  petition  was  likely  to  relieve 
their  distress?  The  very  name  of  the  great 
philanthropist  awakened  sweet  hope.  Moses 
is  a  name  engraved  on  the  Jewish  heart — 
Moses  son  of  Amram  ;  Moses  Maimonides ; 
Moses  Mendelssohn,  had  not  each  had  a  mis 
sion  to  fulfil  in  his  time  ?  And  now  Moses 
Montefiore  !  Henceforth  he  was  spoken  of 
as  the  fourth  great  luminary  in  Israel's 


NICHOLAS    I   AND    MOSES    MONTEFIORE      259 

annals,  and  him  the  modern  Pharaoh  was 
bound  to  respect,  lest  the  ten  plagues  of 
ancient  Egypt  descend  on  the  Czar's  do 
mains. 

It  was  felt  that  nothing  short  of  a  miracle 
could  have  induced  the  fanatic  Czar,  who 
had  sworn  to  uproot  the  seed  of  Judah,  to 
honor  a  Hebrew.  But  is  not  our  his 
tory  a  succession  of  miracles  ?  Acrostics 
were  composed  in  honor  of  the  deliverer, 
and  prayers  offered  for  his  prosperity.  His 
tour  through  several  Russian  cities  with 
large  Jewish  congregations  turned  out  a 
triumphal  pageant,  and  there  was  no  end 
to  the  tales  describing  his  reception  else 
where.  By  the  Caliph  of  Estamboul  Monte- 
fiore  had  been  treated  like  a  sovereign. 
Czar  Nicholas  had  appointed  a  special 
palace  for  the  entertainment  of  his  Jewish 
guest,  had  detailed  a  regiment  of  his  body 
guard  to  do  honor  to  the  Anglo-Hebrew 
millionaire,  and  had  had  food  prepared  for 
him  in  compliance  with  the  dietary  injunc 
tions  of  the  Torak. 

It  was  asserted  that  the  vast  wealth  of 


260  IN    THE    PALE 

the  admirable  Moses  made  Croesus  seem  a 
poor  fellow  in  comparison.  Montefiore, 
everybody  was  convinced,  had  immense 
vaults  stored  with  bags  of  gold  and  precious 
stones.  He  had  offered  the  Czar  ten 
roubles  for  each  of  His  Majesty's  Hebrew 
subjects.  The  Czar,  of  course,  would  not 
think  of  accepting  the  offer,  the  article 
being  too  precious  to  be  thus  cheaply  dis 
posed  of.  There  was  no  doubt,  however, 
that  ere  long  Montefiore  would  have  a  con 
sultation  with  his  friend  Rothschild,  and  the 
two  Anglo-Jewish  nabobs  together  would 
make  a  more  reasonable  proposition  to  the 
Czar,  the  object  being  to  restore  scattered 
Israel  to  the  Land  of  Promise.  Was  not 
Rothschild  a  fit  prince  to  ascend  the  throne 
of  David?  And  where  was  the  man  to 
dispute  the  right  of  the  world-renowned 
and  honored  Moses  to  the  high  priesthood  ? 
Montefiore's  enormous  wealth  did  not  in 
the  least  interfere  with  his  humility,  his 
love  of  the  poor,  his  devotion  to  his  God, 
and  his  ardor  of  worship.  He  had  a  mentor 
in  the  shape  of  a  wonderful  clock,  which, 


NICHOLAS   I   AND    MOSES    MONTEFIORE      26 1 

at  the  expiration  of  each  hour,  before  strik 
ing  time,  played  a  funeral  march,  followed 
by  the  heart-stirring  call :  "  Moses,  Moses, 
another  of  thy  counted  hours  is  gone,  gone. 
Remember  thy  grave,  thy  grave,  thy  grave  !" 
A  still  stronger  reminder  was  a  coffin  made 
of  plain  pine  wood,  ready  to  encase  his 
mortal  remains.  To  curb  vanity  which 
riches  like  his  might  beget,  the  good  Moses 
daily  stretched  himself  for  an  hour  in  the  un 
adorned  sarcophagus,  and  so  well  succeeded 
in  keeping  the  frailty  of  mortal  man  before 
his  mental  eye  that  prayer  never  departed 
from  his  lip,  and  the  needy  never  turned  to 
him  in  vain.  A  Jew  in  every  atom  of  his 
being,  Montefiore  loved  even  the  Goyim, 
whose  misery  he  tried  to  alleviate.  Monte- 
fiore's  wife  was  worthy  of  her  philanthropic 
husband.  She  was  on  terms  of  friendship 
with  the  Queen  of  England,  but  would  not 
shake  hands  with  Czar  Nicholas,  because  he 
had  caused  so  much  pain  to  her  sisters  in 
Russia,  nor  would  she  wear  a  jewel  so  long 
as  her  co-religionists  suffered  oppression. 
She  had  traveled  with  her  consort  every- 


262  IN    THE    PALE 

where,  but  would  not  honor  Muscovy  with 
her  presence,  until  Nicholas  revoked  his 
cruel  Ukase  against  Jewish  children.  Even 
Montefiore's  bill-of-fare  was  not  unknown 
to  the  BacJiur  of  the  Yeshiba.  To  comply 
with  the  behests  of  the  fathers,  who  enjoin 
abject  frugality  upon  the  student  of  the 
sacred  Law,  the  noble  Baronet  ate  bread 
and  onions  during  the  week,  but  royalty 
could  not  outdo  the  sumptuousness  of  his 
table  on  the  holy  Sabbath. 

The  hospitality  the  noble  Moses  extended 
to  the  Czar  of  all  the  Russias  while  His  Im 
perial  Majesty  visited  Great  Britain  was  as 
sumptuous  as  the  feast  given  by  Ahasverus 
in  the  capital  of  ancient  Persia.  In  the  para 
disiacal  park  of  the  Baronet,  for  a  distance 
of  several  miles,  the  finest  Oriental  rugs 
were  spread  for  His  Majesty's  feet  to  tread 
upon.  The  entrance  to  the  palatial  residence 
was  paved  with  plates  of  solid  silver,  artis 
tically  fitted  to  each  other.  The  vestibule 
was  finished  in  gold,  and  the  walls  of  the 
drawing-room  presented  a  blaze  of  gems 
such  as  no  monarch  had  seen  before. 


NICHOLAS   I   AND   MOSES    MONTEFIORE      263 

The  marvel  of  the  palace,  however,  was 
its  dining-room.  On  entering  this  apart 
ment  accompanied  by  his  suit,  the  Czar 
was  astonished  to  see  the  royal  banquet 
hang  in  mid-air,  apparently  without  sup 
port.  The  Czar's  confusion  was  not  small 
when  he  was  invited  to  take  a  seat.  There 
was  no  chair  in  the  room ;  neither  was  there 
a  table,  but  the  dishes  were  there.  Nicholas 
was  at  a  loss  how  to  get  out  of  the  embar 
rassing  position  with  dignity.  "  Is  it  not 
customary  in  this  land  for  the  host  to  take 
his  seat  first  ?"  asked  the  wily  monarch. 
Hereupon  the  Hebrew  host  permitted  his 
capacious  proportions  to  rest  on  what 
looked  like  nothing,  but  was  assuredly 
something  solid,  or  it  could  not  have  sup 
ported  the  considerable  weight  of  the  cor 
pulent  Baronet.  There  the  great  philan 
thropist  was  seated  on  the  air,  as  it  were, 
his  feet  dangling  several  inches  above  the 
floor.  The  Czar  looked  like  the  man  in 
the  play  who  tries  to  stab  Hamlet's  ghost. 
He  was  willing  enough  to  follow  the  host's 
example,  but  no  chair  was  in  sight.  The 


264  IN   THE   PALE 

generous  Hebrew,  perceiving  His  Majesty's 
perplexity,  finally  led  his  royal  guest  to  a 
seat,  which  the  Czar  felt  to  be  as  real  as  if 
made  of  rock. 

The  mystery  was  soon  solved.  The  din 
ing-room  was  fitted  up  with  furniture  of 
crystal  so  fine  that  only  the  most  experienced 
eye  could  detect  it.  There  was  nothing  in 
the  world  to  match  it.  Envy  seized  the 
heart  of  the  mean  Nicholas.  By  a  cunning 
tumble  he  managed  to  break,  not  alone 
his  own  seat,  but  several  chairs  near  him. 
Montefiore  answered  smilingly  in  reply 
to  the  Czar's  hypocritical  regret  at  what 
he  termed  an  accident :  "  Sire,  I  can  furnish 
every  palace  in  your  empire  with  invisible 
conveniences  and  commodities  from  top  to 
bottom.  We  possess  the  secret  of  manufac 
turing  these  things  in  as  large  quantities  as 
we  care  to  do." 

The  appointments  of  the  hall  wherein  the 
Czar  was  entertained  were  so  costly  that  no 
monarch  could  have  afforded  them  with 
out  draining  the  resources  of  his  land.  Yet 
it  was  not  its  magnificence  that  astonished 


NICHOLAS   I   AND    MOSES    MONTEFIORE      265 

the  Emperor.  There  was  a  bewitching  some 
thing  floating  in  the  atmosphere,  a  marvel 
ous  odor,  causing  everyone  to  feel  intoxi 
cating  joy.  The  guests  were  conscious  of  a 
delightful  drowsiness,  and  the  Czar  was  the 
first  to  rest  himself  on  a  superb  divan,  invit 
ing  the  others  to  do  likewise.  No  sooner 
were  they  seated  than  a  mysterious  sym 
phony  filled  the  spacious  room,  and  enrap 
tured  the  souls  of  the  distinguished  com 
pany.  Answering  to  the  touch  of  a  bell, 
seven  angels  emerged  from  curtained  niches, 
performed  a  graceful  dance  in  the  air,  and 
vanished  like  apparitions.  When  the  music 
died  away,  the  Baronet  requested  the  royal 
party  to  rise  and  then  to  resume  their  seats. 
This  was  necessary  to  continue  the  concert, 
which  was  a  product  of  the  invaluable 
divans. 

Such  were  some  of  the  curiosities  Monte- 
fiore  exhibited  to  surprise  the  enemy  of 
his  race.  For  a  definite  purpose  the  wise 
Moses  referred  to  the  great  resources  of 
the  Muscovite  Empire.  "  Yes,  we  have 
gold  enough  in  our  realms  to  have  a  chain 


266  IN   THE   PALE 

forged  stretching  all  the  way  from  St.  Pet 
ersburg  to  London  and  thence  to  Kam- 
tchatka,"  remarked  the  Czar  boastfully.  As 
the  Hebrew  expressed  no  surprise  at  the  ex 
travagant  statement,  Nicholas  asked  him 
how  long  a  chain  he  could  make,  thinking 
that  he  would  thus  be  able  to  test  his  enor 
mous  wealth. 

"  Long  enough,  Sire,  to  stretch  through 
all  the  space  between  the  Holy  Ark  of  my 
synagogue  to  the  blessed  throne  of  God 
above  the  seventh  heaven,"  was  Montefi- 
ore's  calm  reply.  Nicholas  smiled. 

"  You  are  undoubtedly  the  richest  Jew  on 
earth.  We  have  some  wealthy  Hebrews  in 
our  Empire,  but  they  are  not  the  subjects 
on  whom  we  can  safely  build,"  said  the  Czar. 

"  It  has  ever  been  my  wish  to  be  the  best 
rather  than  the  richest  Jew,  Sire,  but  I 
am  neither  the  one  nor  the  other.  In  wealth, 
my  friend  Rothschild  is  by  far  my  superior, 
and  in  the  Jewish  quality  of  true,  heroic 
self-abnegation,  there  are  thousands  of  He 
brews  in  your  Majesty's  domains  whose 
equal  I  cannot  claim  to  be.  There  are  As- 


NICHOLAS    I    AND    MOSES    MONTEFIORE      267 

monean  Israelites  in  Russia,  Sire,"  asserted 
the  host. 

"  We  should  be  pleased  to  agree  with  you, 
sir;  but  are  you  in  earnest?"  asked  the 
Emperor,  not  a  little  surprised  at  the  positive 
assertion  of  the  Baronet. 

"  As  earnest  as  death,  Sire,"  returned 
Moses  with  unfaltering1  voice.  "  It  is  a 
matter  easily  tested.  It  costs  me  little  to  be 
a  faithful  Jew  in  England,  but  in  your  Maj 
esty's  domains  " — here  he  stopped  short. 

Serious  thoughtfulness  settled  on  the 
forehead  of  the  Czar,  as  he  said :  "  We 
have  always  thought  our  Hebrew  subjects 
the  meanest  within  the  bounds  of  our 
Empire,  yea,  perhaps  the  meanest  people  in 
the  world ;  exclusive,  deceitful,  parsimon 
ious,  fanatic,  treacherous,  and  whatever  is 
bad  in  humanity.  They  will  not  assimilate 
with  their  countrymen,  do  what  we  please. 
They  persist  in  living  out  of  touch  with  the 
other  sons  of  Russia,  a  foreign  element, 
praying  for  Jerusalem,  and  cursing  the 
adherents  of  the  cross,"  asseverated  the 
Czar  emphatically. 


268  IN   THE   PALE 

"  Sire,  it  is  their  misfortune  to  be  thus  mis 
understood,"  rejoined  Sir  Moses,  "  their 
sad  condition  making  them  appear  worse 
than  their  brethren  elsewhere.  We  are  all 
of  the  same  stock,  springing  from  the  same 
patriarchal  family,  inspired  by  the  same 
religion,  worshipping  the  same  God,  culti 
vating  the  same  literature,  and  cherishing 
the  same  hope  of  one  day  seeing  mankind 
united  as  one  brotherhood.  There  is  a  dif 
ference  between  the  British  and  the 
Russian  Jew,  but  it  arises  from  the  fact 
that  in  this  land  we  bathe  in  the  sunshine 
of  human  equality,  which  is  denied  my 
brethren  under  your  Majesty's  rule.  It  lies 
not  in  human  nature,  Sire,  to  return  confi 
dence  for  distrust,  or  love  for  hatred.  The 
Jew  has  character,  alas,  and  human  dignity !" 

"  What  is  the  Jew  wanted  for  now  ?  What 
is  he  living  for?"  exclaimed  the  Czar.  "  Do 
you  still  dream  of  spiritual  pre-eminence 
among  the  nations  of  the  earth  ?  If  God  be 
love,  and  His  word  truth,  they  are  destined 
to  be  universal  blessings,  not  the  exclusive 
heritage  of  a  few  insignificant  tribes.  Why 


NICHOLAS    I    AND   MOSES    MONTEFIORE      269 

is  Jesus  rejected  by  the  Jew  ?  Did  he  not 
live  and  die  a  Jew?  His  love  embraced  the 
world.  Whom  does  the  Jew  love  ?  What 
has  Jesus  done  to  be  spurned  ?  Would 
this  world  be  better,  happier,  without  Chris 
tianity  ?  Conquer  your  Jewish  prejudice, 
sir  host.  If  Christianity  be  a  delusion, 
it  is  the  greatest,  the  divinest  in  history. 
If  humanity  is  to  be  united  in  heart, 
soul,  and  God-worship,  who  is  working  for 
the  union?  The  Jew?  Your  Judaism 
holds  out  no  redemption  for  the  race ; 
Christianity  does.  Give  me  the  religion 
that  stands  first  and  last  for  universal  union 
and  harmony.  Is  it  your  religion  ?  A  creed 
that  stands  for  human  exclusiveness  and 
tribal  choice  is  an  institution  of  the  devil  " 
wound  up  Nicholas,  shaking  his  fist. 

But  the  autocratic  ruler  had  to  deal  with 
a  Moses,  whose  reverence,  piety,  and  wisdom 
were  not  to  be  daunted  by  a  display  of  finely 
spun  phrases. 

"  Your  Majesty  is  right,"  cried  the  Hebrew, 
his  eyes  flashing  fire.  "  A  creed  that  stands 
for  human  exclusiveness  and  tribal  choice 


•v*' 


270  IN   THE   PALE 

is  an  institution  of  the  devil.  That  is  the 
reason  why  I  am  a  Jew ;  for  the  synagogue 
stands  for  unity,  and  union,  and  unison — 
unity  of  God,  union  of  men,  and  unison  in 
God-worship.  Is  not  this  our  prophet's  Mes 
sianic  dream  ?  And  is  it  Judaism  that  re 
tards  the  wished-for  consummation  of  the 
divine  Utopia  ?  Sire,  is  it  just  to  impugn 
Israel  for  ministering  to  his  own  salvation, 
and  credit  the  Church  with  world-redeeming 
endeavors  ?  Where  shall  the  Jew  yield  ? 
If  Jesus  were  a  Jew  of  to-day,  he  would 
certainly  not  worship  in  the  Trinitarian 
Church,  nor  would  he  substitute  baptism 
for  our  fundamental  blood-covenant.  Would 
our  surrender  to  a  creed  so  entirely  at  vari 
ance  with  our  monotheistic  ideal  be  a  step 
in  advance  toward  a  sublimer  conception  of 
God  and  His  Universe  ?  The  holiness  and 
humanity  taught  by  the  synagogue  are  une 
qualled.  The  Jew  feels  at  home  wherever 
man  is  humanized.  His  mission  is  not  to 
conquer  the  world  by  forced  conversions, 
but  by  making  life  an  illustration  of  the 
golden  rule,  which  is  the  kernel  of  our  faith. 


NICHOLAS    I    AND    MOSES    MONTEFIORE      2/1 

We  cannot,  will  not  assimilate  with  denomi 
nations  which  violate  our  central  truth  of 
Divine  Unity.  Why  should  I  go  to  the 
Church  or  the  Mosque  to  taste  of  adul 
terated  food,  which  I  have  in  original  purity 
in  my  synagogue  ? 

"  I  admit  Christianity  to  be  a  step  toward 
Judaism.  Jesus  and  Mohammed  are  to  me 
the  same  as  Zoroaster,  Buddha,  Confucius, 
and  Socrates.  We  venerate  wisdom,  extol 
virtue,  but  worship  no  man ;  no,  not  even 
Moses.  There  is  one  figure  to  whom  I  indi 
vidually  pay  hero-worship.  It  is  Job,  the 
martyr  of  the  world ;  heroic  in  his  mighty 
resistance  to  all  the  woes  and  throes  of 
outrageous  fate;  sublime  in  his  reflections 
on  life's  unsolved  mystery;  majestic  in  his 
interrogation  of  powers  that  answer  not ; 
divine  in  his  sweet  resignation,  and  triumph 
ant  in  a  struggle  superhuman  endurance 
alone  could  have  sustained.  Job  is  the 
allegory  of  Israel's  martyrdom,  Sire,  the 
type  of  the  agonized  Jew.  The  Church 
and  the  Mosque  are  monuments  of  Jew 
ish  conquest,  and  Israel's  misery  is  the 


272  IN   THE   PALE 

monumental  pyramid  of  man's  immortal 
shame!  " 

The  Czar's  eye  measured  the  proportions 
of  the  philanthropic  Hebrew  with  an  ex 
pression  of  mute  wonder,  unused  as  he  was 
to  be  thus  encountered  and  defeated  beyond 
hope  of  regaining  the  field.  There  remained 
nothing  for  His  Majesty  but  to  beat  an 
honorable  retreat  from  the  arena,  and  Nich 
olas  did  it  gracefully.  Turning  to  his  at 
tendants,  who  wondered  at  the  boldness  of 
the  Hebrew,  the  Emperor  observed : 

"  We  should  like  to  have  with  us  at  this 
moment  some  of  our  learned  metropolitans 
and  others  of  our  Archierey,  to  prove  our  just 
claim  to  religious  ascendency  over  the  old 
faith.  However,  we  go  hence,  sir  host,  im 
pressed  with  the  conviction  that  the  matter 
has  two  sides.  Our  Jews,  we  are  grieved  to 
affirm,  are  not  a  class  to  be  loved  or  admired ; 
yet  have  we  never  heard  of  a  Hebrew 
soldier's  disobedience  to  his  superior  or 
disloyalty  to  his  sovereign.  We  shall  give 
this  question  our  best  attention,  Sir  Moses," 
was  the  Czar's  last  remark. 


NICHOLAS    I    AND    MOSES    MONTEFIORE      273 

All  the  Czar  did,  however,  was  to  talk 
over  the  matter  with  his  kind-hearted  son, 
the  Czarowitch  Alexander,  who,  on  ascend 
ing  his  father's  throne,  remembered  it,  and 
did  much  to  ameliorate  the  painful  situation 
of  his  Jewish  subjects. 


THE  CZAR  IN  ROTHSCHILD'S 
CASTLE 

THE  royal  treatment  the  Czar  had  expe 
rienced  at  the  mansion  of  Moses 
Montefiore  moved  his  curiosity  to  see  the 
yet  more  magnificent  palace  of  the  world- 
renowned  Rothschild.  No  sooner  did  the 
millionaire  learn  of  the  Emperor's  wish, 
than  a  cordial  invitation  was  extended, 
which  was  graciously  accepted.  Was  it 
necessary  for  the  Baron  to  make  prepara 
tions  to  receive  his  imperial  guest?  Not  at 
all.  His  palatial  residence  was  always  in  a 
Solomonic  state  of  splendor,  such  as  no 
Caliph  could  have  sustained  without  reduc 
ing  his  realm  to  poverty.  In  fact,  at  least 
half  of  this  world's  treasures  are  stored  in 
Rothschild's  vaults.  What  renders  this 
Hebrew  most  formidable  is  his  possession 
of  King  Solomon's  signet-ring,  the  very  seal 
that  enabled  the  ancient  despot  to  make 
the  demon  Ashmodai  do  his  bidding.  In 
(274) 


THE   CZAR   IN    ROTHSCHILD'S    CASTLE      275 

other  words,  Rothschild  has  power  over 
agencies  inaccessible  to  other  mortals. 
Kings  are  afraid  of  him,  and  the  fortress  of 
Sebastopol  would  never  have  fallen,  had  he 
had  cause  to  favor  Russia.  He  was  friendly 
to  Great  Britain,  and  the  doom  of  the  Mus 
covite  army  was  sealed. 

The  reception  and  entertainment  offered 
the  autocrat  of  all  the  Russias  by  the  man 
who  thus  controls  the  destiny  of  nations 
was  marked  by  incidents  well  known  in  the 
Yeshiboth.  That  the  carriages  sent  for  His 
Majesty  the  Czar  and  his  attendants  were 
marvels  of  workmanship,  and  had  wheels  of 
precious  metal  and  seats  soft  as  air,  need 
hardly  be  alluded  to.  The  conveyances 
were  drawn  by  horses  of  Egyptian  breed, 
sired  by  those  which  King  Solomon  intro 
duced  into  his  capital  after  he  had  married 
the  daughter  of  the  lord  ruling  over  the 
domains  of  the  Nile.  The  trappings  were 
made  of  purple,  and  studded  with  stars  of 
gold.  Artfully  hidden  jewels  illumined  the 
inside  of  the  imperial  equipage.  All  this, 
however,  is  referred  to  as  a  mere  bagatelle 


276  IN  THE   PALE 

in  the  great  display  of  wealth  that  made 
Israel's  enemies  pale  with  envy. 

A  rather  comical  incident  of  the  visit  was 
caused  by  a  mysterious  purse  of  gold,  which 
came  very  near  costing  one  of  the  Musco 
vite  boyars  his  nose,  to  the  great  amuse 
ment  of  the  Czar  and  his  suit.  It  was  a 
Satanic  temptation,  a  golden  trap.  The 
insidious  treasure  lay  on  the  ground  in  the 
heart  of  the  millionaire's  estate,  before  the 
entrance  to  the  palace,  as  though  some  one 
had  lost  it.  For  a  genuine  Russian  to  pass 
so  tempting  a  thing  as  a  purse  of  gold  with 
out  trying  to  lay  hold  on  it,  is  a  psycho 
logic  impossibility.  The  noble  Slav  could 
not  imagine  that  the  confounded  purse  was 
the  instrument  of  a  treacherous  scheme. 
What  the  unsophisticated  Russian  beheld 
was  a  purse  transparent  enough  to  leave 
no  doubt  as  to  its  contents. 

Here  is  what  happened.  The  heavy  por 
tals  of  gilded  workmanship  swung  wide  open 
to  receive  the  royal  party.  The  carriages 
rolled  on  for  many  miles  through  superb 
gardens,  covered  with  rare  shrubbery  and 


THE   CZAR    IN    ROTHSCHILD'S    CASTLE      277 

delicious  flowers,  as  in  Solomon's  famous 
parks  in  song-consecrated  Zion,  in  which  he 
entertained  the  Queen  of  Sheba.  Birds 
made  music,  brooks  murmured,  cascades 
bounded  over  barriers,  fountains  played, 
parrots  screamed,  all  conspiring  to  make  the 
surroundings  an  Eden  of  delight.  Pres 
ently,  as  the  imperial  party  left  their  convey 
ances,  one  of  the  distinguished  attendants, 
a  nobleman  of  no  small  importance,  caught 
sight  of  the  purse,  and,  by  a  strategic  move 
ment,  managed  to  come  within  grasping 
distance.  No  sooner  did  he  lay  his  hand 
thereon,  than  presto !  a  black  cuckoo,  with 
the  screech  of  a  devil's  bird,  responded  to 
the  touch,  a  response  which  exasperated  His 
Highness.  Darting  down  with  the  rapidity 
of  lightning,  the  naughty  bird  fastened  its 
iron  bill  on  the  nose  of  the  astonished  court 
ier.  In  very  emphatic  German  the  distressed 
nobleman  cried,  "  Zum  Kuckuk,"  but  all  in 
vain.  The  infernal  creature  would  not  relax 
its  hold,  until  the  unfortunate  Slav,  with 
more  haste  than  heroism,  dropped  the  for 
bidden  treasure.  It  fell  exactly  where  it 


2/8  IN   THE   PALE 

had  lain  before,  and  the  bird  disappeared 
like  an  apparition.  The  Russians  looked 
embarrassed,  but  Nicholas  laughed  heartily 
when  the  joke  was  explained  to  him.  The 
piece  of  machinery  had  not  its  like  in  the 
world.  A  great  Kabbalist  had  made  it  for 
the  generous  millionaire. 

"  Who  made  that  devilish  fowl  for  you, 
Monsieur  le  Baron  ?"  asked  the  Czar. 

"  One  of  your  Majesty's  subjects,"  an 
swered  Rothschild  significantly. 

u  One  of  our  subjects  ?"  cried  the  monarch, 
visibly  surprised. 

"  One  of  Judah's  suffering  children  in 
your  Majesty's  Empire,"  reiterated  the  proud 
Hebrew. 

There  was  a  look  of  interrogation  in  the 
Czar's  eye,  but  the  sagacious  host  said 
nothing  more,  and  his  imperial  guest  was 
soon  within  the  walls  of  the  palace.  Many 
were  the  surprises  in  store  for  the  Emperor, 
each  apartment  exhibiting  an  excess  of 
costly  articles,  unequalled  by  anything  seen 
in  royal  palaces.  As  in  the  residence  of  Sir 
Moses  Montefiore,  the  dining-room  was 


THE   CZAR   IN   ROTHSCHILD'S    CASTLE      2/Q 

a  most  remarkable  combination  of  art 
and  magic.  In  reality  it  contained  abso 
lutely  nothing-  to  see  or  to  eat,  the  walls 
being  bare  and  the  floor  empty.  Nicholas, 
who  had  hitherto  succeeded  in  suppressing 
every  sign  of  surprise,  remembering  the 
invisible  furniture  of  Montefiore's  dining- 
room,  asked  the  host  whether  he  was 
to  be  seated  on  an  invisible  chair,  and  fed 
with  impalpable  dishes  ;  or  whether  he  was 
to  be  served  on  the  floor  with  manna  rain 
ing  through  the  ceiling  ? 

"Neither  one  thing  nor  the  other,  Sire," 
replied  the  host  dryly.  "  Here  is  the  ser 
vice  intended  for  your  Majesty  and  your 
Majesty's  attendants." 

Saying  this,  Rothschild  touched  a  knob. 
Immediately  was  heard  a  distant  rumbling, 
followed  by  a  cracking  and  bursting  of  walls, 
a  falling  and  tumbling  of  ceilings,  panels, 
and  pillars,  as  though  an  earthquake  were 
shaking  the  castle.  In  a  trice  there  was 
an  amazing  transformation,  and  the  scene 
looked  like  a  dream  woven  by  genii. 
The  Czar  stood  perplexed.  Could  those 


280  IN   THE   PALE 

immovable  fairies,  stationed  around  golden 
tables,  whereon  dishes  fit  for  angel  royal 
ties  were  spread,  be  real,  tangible  creatures  ? 
And  those  chairs  set  with  precious  jewels, 
each  one  fit  to  be  a  ruler's  throne,  could 
they  be  genuine  ?  All  doubt  vanished 
the  moment  a  concert  by  invisible  instru 
ments  caused  the  airy  beings  to  move  and 
serve  the  Emperor  and  his  train,  their  voices 
mingling  with  the  instrumental  music,  which 
filled  the  air  with  celestial  harmony. 

"  It  was  not  one  of  our  Hebrew  subjects 
that  devised  this,  Monsieur  le  Baron  ?  We 
should  like  to  know  him,  if  he  be  one  of 
ours,"  observed  the  Czar  ironically. 

"  Pardon,  Sire,  the  Kabbala,  the  mystic 
science,  is  possessed  by  none  to  so  high  a 
degree  as  by  the  Hebrews  under  your  Maj 
esty's  rule.  To  one  of  them  I  am  indebted 
for  a  power  worth  all  the  kingdoms  on  earth. 
Should  your  Majesty  condescend  to  spend 
the  coming  night  here,  it  will  be  my  pleasure 
to  let  your  Majesty's  eyes  behold  what  no 
monarch,  except  King  Solomon,  ever  wit 
nessed,"  returned  Rothschild. 


THE   CZAR   IN    ROTHSCHILD'S    CASTLE      28 1 

The  Czar  made  no  reply,  but  looked 
thoughtful  and  serious.  He  was  reflecting 
on  the  cruel  wrongs  he  had  inflicted  on  his 
Jewish  subjects.  At  the  close  of  the  ban 
quet,  he  turned  to  inform  his  host  that  he 
was  pleased  to  accept  the  invitation  to  stay 
with  him  over  night.  Rothschild  bowed  his 
respectful  acknowledgment. 

We  need  not  wonder  that  hours  passed 
like  minutes  at  the  festive  board.  It  was 
late  in  the  afternoon  when  the  imperial 
party  rose  from  the  table.  The  Czar  was 
anxious  to  miss  no  curiosity  in  the  most 
sumptuous  of  human  habitations,  and  the 
hospitable  Hebrew  was  only  too  willing  to 
please  His  Majesty.  They  proceeded  from 
room  to  room,  from  hall  to  hall,  from  vault 
to  vault,  where  enormous  hoards  of  gold 
and  invaluable  stones  were  stored  and 
guarded  by  gigantic  warriors  of  the  Queen, 
all  armed  cap-a-pie.  At  last  they  found  them 
selves  under  the  open  skies,  but  embowered 
by  a  wealth  of  tropic  plants  and  blossoms 
rarely  seen  in  our  latitude. 

They   advanced  into    the  depths   of   the 


282  IN   THE   PALE 

park,  and  suddenly  stood  before  an  arch  of 
flowery  glories,  prodigious  in  size,  and 
shaped  in  imitation  of  the  rainbow.  Every 
tint  of  the  multicolored  bow  was  artistically 
reproduced,  and,  lest  the  cold  destroy  that 
marvel  of  the  florist's  art,  a  crystal  vault 
hung  over  it  like  a  solid  firmament,  allowing 
sunshine  to  warm  and  beautify  the  unique 
creation  of  genius.  Jealousy  seized  the 
flinty  heart  of  the  Czar.  What  was  the  use 
of  being  the  autocrat  of  all  the  Russias,  if  a 
Jew  dared  boast  possession  of  what  he  could 
not  dream  of  enjoying  ?  A  sigh  escaped  his 
envious  breast,  as  he  asked  in  a  cheerless 
tone  : 

"  And  what  is  the  object  of  this  display  of 
plants,  Monsieur  le  Baron  ?" 

"  We  call  it  our  symbolic  gate,  Sire,"  re 
plied  the  millionaire. 

"  Symbolic  of  what  ?  "  inquired  Nicholas, 
unwilling  to  be  surprised  again. 

"  It  is  an  emblem  of  the  two  pathways 
presented  for  the  choice  of  humanity, 
Sire,"  explained  Rothschild. 

"Aha,  I  see,  two  ways  separate,  one   to 


THE   CZAR    IN    ROTHSCHILD'S    CASTLE      283 

the  right  and  one  to  the  left,  both  equally 
wide,  but  one  cheerful  and  smooth,  the  other 
dark  and  rugged.  Which  is  preferable  ?  Is 
not  this  the  point?" 

"  Exactly,  Sire  ;  that  has  been  man's  ques 
tion  since  his  creation,"  agreed  the  host. 

"Very  well,  as  we  have  the  choice,  we 
shall  proceed  on  the  smooth  pathway," 
decided  Nicholas,  and  straightway  led 
his  suit  on  the  tempting  road,  running 
down  an  inclination  of  the  ground.  Roths 
child  took  the  other  direction,  his  path 
way  leading  to  elevated  ground.  Before 
the  royal  party  had  advanced  a  few  hun 
dred  paces,  they  had  to  pass  through  a  sub 
terranean  passage,  whence  they  emerged 
upon  the  most  desolate  surroundings  they 
had  ever  seen  in  so  limited  a  space.  The 
desolation  grew  with  every  step,  the  road 
losing  itself  in  a  labyrinth  of  rocks,  on  which 
the  sun's  light  appeared  to  have  no  influence. 
Having  passed  over  a  dark  chasm  by  means 
of  what  looked  like  a  bridge,  the  company 
was  astonished  to  see  the  span  disappear 
the  moment  the  last  person  stepped  on  the 


284  IN   THE   PALE 

other  side,  thus  rendering  return  by  the 
same  pathway  impossible.  To  the  right 
and  the  left  there  was  a  dismal  growth  of 
half-withered  trees,  and  almost  perpen 
dicular  rocks  rose  to  a  considerable  height, 
a  dark  fluid,  resembling  liquid  pitch  rather 
than  water,  issuing  from  many  a  fissure. 
The  hoot  of  an  owl  was  answered  by  a 
chorus  of  screaming  bitterns  and  squeaking 
frogs.  The  Czar  took  umbrage  on  dis 
covering  that  his  host  was  not  present.  He 
stopped,  looked  around,  and  asked  why 
the  Baron  was  absent.  "  We  seem  to  be 
unaccompanied  and  unguarded,"  said  he 
impatiently. 

"  Your  Majesty  is  accompanied,  and,  in 
this  castle,  under  the  guardianship  of  the 
Lord  of  Israel,"  came  the  assurance  from  the 
top  of  a  rock. 

"  And  where  are  you,  Monsieur  le  Baron?" 
cried  the  Czar,  the  situation  being  one 
scarcely  to  the  taste  of  a  despot  unused  to 
be  trifled  with. 

"  I  am  in  Paradise,  Sire,"  was  the  curious 
answer  of  the  famous  banker. 


THE   CZAR   IN    ROTHSCHILD'S    CASTLE      285 

"  And  where  the  devil  are  we  ?  "  was  the 
next  question  of  His  Majesty  the  Czar. 

"  In  hell,  Sire,"  came  the  laconic  reply,  to 
the  surprise  of  the  Czar  and  his  attendants. 

"  Here  is  a  Hebrew  who  appears  to  own 
all  worth  having  on  earth  and  Para 
dise  besides,"  remarked  the  monarch  good- 
humoredly.  Turning  his  look  upward,  he 
called  out,  taking  up  the  Baron's  pleasantry : 
"And  will  you  not  raise  us  out  of  this 
infernal  region,  Monsieur?  " 

The  answer  was  :  "  Immediately." 

On  four  golden  chains,  down  came  a 
chariot  of  crystal  and  jewels  to  lift  the 
Czar  and  his  train  to  the  paradisiacal  height. 
It  was  a  plateau  as  beautiful  as  the  valley  of 
Sharon,  shaded  by  trees  loaded  with  the 
most  odoriferous  fruits  and  blossoms.  Nich 
olas  understood  the  lesson,  for  he  deliber 
ately  observed: 

"  Like  a  true  brother  of  Christ  you  saved 
us  from  perdition,  Monsieur  le  Baron." 

"  We  wait  for  the  world's  appreciation, 
Sire,"  said  Rothschild  in  a  voice  full  of 
meaning. 


286  IN   THE   PALE 

"  Your  symbolic  gate  has  taught  us  a 
lesson,"  added  the  Czar. 

"  Only  a  hint  at  Israel's  history,  his  mar 
tyrdom,  his  mission,  and  his  final  triumph. 
Without  Sinai  and  Carmel,  without  Abra 
ham,  Moses,  Samuel,  and  the  Maccabees, 
what  were  the  hope,  life,  and  dream  of  the 
human  race  ?  "  asked  the  Hebrew. 

"  It  is  clear,"  continued  the  monarch  pen 
sively.  "On  a  thorny  pathway  the  Jew  as 
cended  the  mount  of  salvation,  drawing  up 
with  him  the  non-Jewish  world.  His  re 
mains  the  glory  of  having  given  us  a  Re 
deemer,  apostles,  and  a  Bible.  Who  has 
done  the  like?  Who  half  as  much?  Why, 
Monsieur  le  Baron,  it  must  inspire  a  feeling 
of  great  pride  to  have  rendered  mankind 
such  invaluable  services.  If  I  were  not  the 
Czar,  I  should  like  to  be  a  Hebrew,  one  like 
yourself." 

Rothschild  bowed  deep,  and  in  a  tone  of 
suppressed  emotion  asked  :  "  And  how  does 
the  world  requite  us  for  the  work  your 
Majesty  has  so  graciously  referred  to?" 

"The   world   is   not   good,"  returned  the 


THE   CZAR   IN    ROTHSCHILD'S    CASTLE       287 

Czar,  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  crimsoned  west, 
where  the  descent  of  the  sun  was  marked  by 
a  trail  of  waning  coruscations.  "  Yes,  the 
world  ought  to  be  a  vast  deal  better  with 
Moses  and  Jesus  as  our  divine  guides." 

"  It  is  in  your  Majesty's  power  to  make  it 
better,"  suggested  Rothschild. 

"  Too  late,  too  late  to  begin  a  new  course," 
said  Nicholas,  as  though  to  himself.  "  The 
Jew  will  remain  a  Jew  to  the  end  of  time. 
What  he  teaches  must  be  immutable,  or 
it  would  have  changed.  Everything  suffers 
change ;  only  the  Jew  remains  the  same. 
His  is  the  threefold  blessing:  historical  pre 
servation,  divine  revelation,  and  prophetic 
inspiration.  The  Lord  knows  best  what  is 
good  for  this  world.  The  Hebrew  wor 
shipped  the  Supreme  Being  thousands  of 
years  before  our  ancestors  had  a  glimpse  of 
the  divine  truth.  We  shall  hereafter  let  the 
Jew  worship  after  his  fashion,  Monsieur  le 
Baron,  sorry  though  we  are  to  see  him 
reject  the  Messiah." 

"The  Lord  will  bless  your  Majesty," 
gratefully  said  the  Hebrew  host. 


288  IN   THE    PALE 

The  palace  and  the  gardens  were  beauti 
fully  illumined,  night  having  set  in,  and  the 
evening  was  spent  in  viewing  a  variety  of 
exhibitions  given  for  the  diversion  of  His 
Majesty.  It  was  almost  midnight  when  the 
Czar  signified  his  intention  of  withdrawing 
to  his  apartments. 

"  We  have  instructed  our  guards  to  give 
Monsieur  le  Baron  access  to  our  retreat  this 
night,"  said  the  Czar  on  his  way  to  his  bed 
room. 

"  It  is  then  your  Majesty's  pleasure  to 
have  the  vision?  "  asked  the  host. 

"Ah,  then  it  is  no  more  than  a  vision  that 
we  are  to  be  regaled  with  ?  We  counted  on 
something  more  than  a  dream,"  observed 
the  Czar,  seemingly  disappointed. 

"It  will  be  more,  Sire;  neither  will  the 
guards  stand  between  us  at  the  time  of  the 
meeting,"  added  Rothschild  significantly. 

"  Unless  we  meet  disembodied,  no  creature 
of  flesh  can  approach  our  person  without 
giving  the  proper  sign,  if  permission  has  not 
previously  been  granted,"  asserted  the  Czar. 

"  Your  Majesty  having  signified  it  to  be 


THE    CZAR    IN    ROTHSCHILD'S    CASTLE      289 

your  pleasure  to  be  met,  no  earthly  power 
can  prevent  the  meeting,"  replied  the  host 
positively. 

"  Of  this  we  shall  have  proof  during  the 
coming  night,"  said  the  Czar,  and,  with  a 
nod  to  the  Baron,  retired,  having  given 
strict  orders  to  admit  not  a  soul  to  his  apart 
ments. 

When  the  clock  struck  twelve  there  was 
perfect  quiet  in  the  castle.  Useless  to 
dwell  on  the  sumptuousness  of  the  Czar's 
apartment.  It  was  the  very  copy  of  the  one 
occupied  by  King  Solomon  in  his  glory. 
Nicholas  thought  it  a  dream.  The  high 
canopy  of  the  bed  was  a  miniature  imitation 
of  the  starry  dome,  scintillating  jewels  rep 
resenting  the  constellations  of  the  firma 
ment.  The  tapestries  on  the  walls  showed 
landscapes  so  wonderfully  realistic  that  they 
appeared  miles  away.  The  illusion  was 
rendered  perfect  by  the  ringing  of  a  cow 
bell,  the  playing  of  a  lute,  and  the  carol  of 
a  lark.  "  This  is  an  enchanted  castle,  and 
the  Jew  is  a  mate  of  the  devil,"  cried  the 
Czar. 
19 


IN   THE   PALE 

"  A  mate  of  the  devil,"  echoed  a  tenfold 
voice.  Nicholas,  startled  by  the  hollow 
echo,  made  the  sign  of  the  cross.  He  went 
to  open  a  window,  but  there  was  none. 
How  was  the  apartment  ventilated  ?  Neither 
was  a  lamp  to  be  seen,  yet  the  room  was 
brilliantly  lighted,  the  jewels  throwing  out 
a  flood  of  radiance. 

Tired  though  the  Czar  was,  he  hesitated 
to  stretch  his  royal  limbs  on  the  dazzling 
couch.  When  he  had  gathered  courage 
enough  to  measure  his  length  on  the  regal 
bed,  he  was  astonished  at  the  effect  of  his 
horizontal  position.  His  weight  caused 
harmony  to  proceed  from  beneath  his  pil 
lows,  as  sweet  as  the  spiritual  music  of 
another  world. 

Now  the  clock  struck  one.  What  was  it  ? 
A  mysterious  tremor  made  the  whole  space 
quiver.  Was  the  castle  rising  or  sinking? 
Certainly  the  room  was  moving.  Whither  ? 
The  Czar  rose  to  his  feet.  Adown  every 
thing  went,  and  with  speed  suggestive 
of  considerable  depth.  A  light  jerk  in 
formed  the  imperial  guest  that  a  station 


THE   CZAR    IN    ROTHSCHILD'S    CASTLE      29 1 

had  been  reached.  A  rap  at  the  door  with 
out  was  answered  from  within.  Rothschild's 
voice  reassured  His  Majesty  that  everything 
was  as  it  should  be.  The  door  opened,  not 
into  the  pompous  hall  of  the  palace,  but  into 
a  cavernous  hollow,  dimly  lighted  by  a  lan 
tern  in  the  Hebrew's  hand.  Invited  to  step 
into  the  deep,  the  Czar  asked  whether  the 
room  would  not  fly  up  the  moment  he 
stepped  out  of  it.  Assured  that  there  was 
no  danger,  the  guest  followed  his  host 
through  an  irregular  arch,  and  entered 
a  grotto  of  vast  dimensions,  shrouded 
in  total  darkness.  Presently  Rothschild 
caused  the  light  in  his  hand  to  fall  on  a 
massive  door  of  steel,  which  bore  four 
Hebrew  letters  graven  in  the  metal.  The 
Czar  learnt  that  the  letters  spelt  the  ineffable 
Name,  which  the  high  priest  wore  on  his 
headgear,  and  before  which  Alexander  the 
Great  had  bowed  with  reverence.  Yielding 
to  the  touch  of  the  guide,  the  ponderous 
door  opened,  showing  a  brilliant  model  of  the 
Holy  Ark  made  of  hammered  gold.  Nicholas 
inclined  his  head  reverently,  but  he  was  not 


292  IN   THE   PALE 

permitted  to  view  its  contents.  To  the  left, 
suspended  on  a  golden  peg,  hung  the  Urim 
and  the  Thummim,  the  oracular  symbols 
the  high  priest  wore  on  his  breast.  With 
them  Rothschild  adorned  his  chest.  To  the 
right  of  the  Ark  stood  an  antique  vase 
filled  with  invaluable  gems  of  great  beauty. 
Rothschild  picked  out  a  ring,  slipped  it  on 
his  index  finger,  closed  the  door,  and  put  out 
the  lamp. 

"  The  glow  of  this  ring  fulfils  the  function 
of  a  thousand  lamps,"  observed  Nicholas, 
his  envious  eye  resting  on  the  blazing  seal. 

"  Solomon's  signet  can  do  more  than 
illuminate  a  rayless  cavern,  Sire,"  replied 
the  Baron. 

The  Czar  stood  mute  with  amazement ;  he 
knew  the  virtue  of  the  ancient  monarch's 
signet  ring,  and  strained  his  eyes  to  discern 
the  contents  of  the  numerous  recesses, 
which,  he  suspected,  contained  startling  rev 
elations.  The  grotto  was  a  labyrinth  too 
vast  to  be  the  work  of  human  hands. 
Its  great  height  could  scarcely  be  reached 
by  the  eye,  and  it  was  hung  with  solid 


THE   CZAR   IN    ROTHSCHILD'S    CASTLE      293 

crystals  of  glittering  magnificence.  The 
uneven  floor  was  a  bewilderingly  variegated 
mosaic  of  marble  and  onyx,  suggesting  a 
superhuman  master  hand,  which  must  have 
been  active  for  ages  unnumbered  in  forming 
the  incrusted  pattern  of  indescribable 
beauty,  broken  here  and  there  by  petrified 
trees  and  shrubs,  which  sparkled  as  though 
set  with  multicolored  jewels.  The  impres 
sion  of  awe  was  deepened  by  the  presence 
of  a  dazzling  altar  adorned  with  irregular 
columns  branching  into  fantastic  candel 
abra,  adding  greater  beauty  to  a  place 
already  fit  for  the  ministrations  of  a  high 
priest. 

"  Let  us  ascend  this  altar,"  proposed  the 
host  to  the  Czar.  The  hundredfold  rever 
beration  of  these  words  startled  the  Em 
peror.  Could  those  hollow  noises  be  no 
more  than  a  mocking  echo  ? 

From  his  stand  upon  the  altar,  Rothschild 
commanded  a  full  view  of  all  the  dark  re 
cesses.  Toward  the  first  of  these  he  turned 
the  beam  of  the  glowing  signet.  An  out 
burst  of  mellow  splendor  from  within  re- 


294  IN   THE   PALE 

sponded  to  the  flash  of  the  supernatural 
ring,  revealing  a  sight  of  awe  and  horror. 
From  a  dim  background,  teeming  with  un 
sightly  shapes  of  groveling  and  groping 
humanity  kneeling  before  a  variety  of  mon 
strosities,  strode  forth,  like  Phoebus  from 
the  Orient's  golden  gate,  a  comely  youth,  his 
back  turned  on  the  gruesome  scene,  his 
eyes,  full  of  ethereal  inspiration,  cast  heaven 
ward.  A  gigantic  savage,  club  in  hand, 
threw  grim  eyes  at  him,  and  a  gleam  from 
the  deep  empyrean  gilded  the  countenance  of 
the  dreamy  demi-god.  The  sight  was  preg 
nant  with  sublime  significance.  The  Czar 
looked  to  his  guide  for  an  explanation. 
Without  a  wrord,  Rothschild  turned  his 
light  on  the  next  recess.  Here  the  youth 
stood  in  matured  manhood,  looking  thought 
fully  on  a  barren  tract  before  him,  in  his  rear 
a  numerous  train,  and  behind  them  a  chaos 
of  shattered  idols  and  broken  altars  amidst 
a  confused  mass  of  frowning  humanity. 
"  Abraham  ? "  whispered  the  Czar.  "  Abra 
ham,"  reverberated  every  recess. 

"The  head  of  the  Hebrew  nobility,  Sire; 


THE   CZAR   IN    ROTHSCHILD  S    CASTLE      295 

the  man  who  preceded  the  son  of  Amram  in 
his  world-redeeming  mission ;  the  one  we  call 
our  great-grandsire.  The  world  has  never 
been  graced  by  a  diviner  specimen  of  hu 
manity.  To  him  our  letters  of  nobility  date 
back,"  was  the  undisputed  claim  of  the  proud 
Hebrew,  who  at  the  same  time  gave  illumi 
nation  to  the  adjoining  recess. 

Pyramids  on  the  banks  of  a  mighty  stream 
indicated  the  land  of  the  Nile.  Wretched 
slaves  were  engaged  in  hard  labor,  task 
masters,  rod  in  hand,  inflicted  punishment 
on  some,  and  others  were  casting  furtive 
looks  at  a  new-born  babe  with  head  encircled 
by  a  nimbus.  Nicholas  asked :  "  Israel  in 
Egypt?" 

"  Israel  in  Egypt,  Sire,  and  here  the  Exo 
dus,"  answered  Rothschild,  flooding  another 
region  of  the  cavern  with  a  blaze  of  light. 
The  scene  presented  a  great  multitude  of 
men,  women,  and  children,  headed  by  a 
mighty  leader,  staff  in  hand,  before  them  a 
pillar  of  fire,  and  farther  on  a  stormy  sea. 
"Sinai  comes  next,"  surmised  the  Czar. 

"  There  is  Sinai,  Sire,"  cried  Rothschild, 


296  IN   THE   PALE 

lighting  up  a  panorama  of  overpowering 
reality.  "  Yonder  your  Majesty  may  dis 
cern  Horeb  wrapped  in  flame,  at  the  summit 
a  majestic  figure,  clad  in  fire  like  a  god — our 
lawgiver,  the  tablets  in  his  hand.  The  efflu 
ence  issuing  therefrom  throws  streaks  of 
light  on  the  faces  of  the  alarmed  masses,  and 
breaks  the  darkness  far  beyond,  suggesting 
the  power  of  the  Torah  to  enlighten  mankind. 
Israel  holds  the  light  of  the  world.  By  the 
impenetrable  mystery  yonder  is  conveyed  a 
faint  idea  of  the  ineffable  Supreme  Being, 
who,  in  the  beginning,  bade  chaos  recede  be 
fore  His  light,  which  enkindled  the  stars,  and 
set  them  moving  forever.  Below,  diagon 
ally  opposite,  your  Majesty  beholds  heath 
enism  symbolized  by  Jove  in  despondency. 
Those  three  at  the  thunderer's  feet  represent 
Minos,  Lycurgus,  and  Solon,  with  heads 
lowered,  and  unrolled  scrolls  clutched  in 
their  nervous  hands.  Hebraism  triumphs 
over  Hellenism.  And  here  Israel's  march 
through  the  desert." 

With  a  wave  of  his  hand  the  guide  trans 
formed  a  dark  recess  into  a  vision  of  glory. 


THE   CZAR    IN   ROTHSCHILD'S    CASTLE      2Q/ 

Twelve  tribes  were  seen  to  advance  majes 
tically,  the  holy  Ark  of  the  Covenant  occu 
pying  the  centre  of  the  triumphant  proces 
sion. 

"  That  was  a  daring  expedition,"  said  the 
Czar.  "  They  dared  and  conquered.  Their 
faith  must  have  been  great." 

"  Unbounded,  Sire,  then  as  thereafter  and 
hitherto.  Yet  our  forty  years  in  the  desert 
have  been  the  most  heroic  and  blessed  ever 
lived  through  by  a  people.  With  Moses  as 
leader,  the  destruction  of  idolatry  and  the 
fashioning  of  the  divinest  code  as  exclusive 
employments,  and  heavenly  manna  as  food, 
what  a  glorious  period !"  cried  Rothschild. 

"  And  after  the  desert  the  Land  of  Prom 
ise,"  assumed  Nicholas  in  a  positive  tone. 

"Zion,  Sire,"  responded  the  lord  of  the 
grotto,  sending  a  volume  of  light  in  the  direc 
tion  of  a  great  city,  clustered  round  a  superb 
edifice  of  symmetrical  beauty.  A  striking 
figure  was  a  majestic  woman  of  queenly 
grace,  one  of  whose  hands  rested  on  a  cornice 
of  the  portico,  the  other  on  the  head  of  a 
person  whose  contemplative  look  and  whose 


298  IN   THE   PALE 

garments  indicated  the  calling  of  the 
prophet.  Around  the  harvest  festival  was 
being  celebrated,  happy  throngs  crowding 
the  courts  and  the  neighborhood  of  the 
sacred  building,  many  with  green  laurel 
crowns  on  their  heads,  in  their  hands  bas 
kets  filled  with  sheaves  of  golden  grain  or 
with  clusters  of  the  luscious  grape.  Headed 
by  the  high  priest,  a  train  of  priests  and  Le- 
vites,  attired  for  the  sacred  office,  were  on 
the  point  of  entering  the  Sanctuary. 

"  Beautiful  Zion  !"  exclaimed  the  Czar. 

"  And  here  her  first  great  sorrow,"  supple 
mented  the  guide,  throwing  light  upon  a 
scene  of  wreckage  and  desolation.  The  city 
and  the  Temple  were  seen  in  flames ;  Asiatic 
cohorts  reveled  within  the  precincts  of  the 
sacred  edifice,  tearing  down  whatever  would 
not  yield  to  the  fire.  Far  away,  chained  and 
guarded,  the  daughter  of  Zion  was  seen 
being  led  off  into  captivity,  accompanied  by 
the  prophet,  his  hand  pointing  heavenward. 
The  meaning  was  clear,  and  was  further 
illustrated  by  the  next  scene,  Israel  in  cap 
tivity,  crowding  the  highways  which  passed 


THE   CZAR    IN    ROTHSCHILD'S    CASTLE      299 

by  a  stream,  harps  hanging  on  the  willows. 

"  Your  story  is  unsurpassed  in  stirring 
incidents  by  the  tale  of  Troy,"  said  Nicholas 
with  great  earnestness. 

"  Sire,  our  tale  is  either  epos,  or  ode,  or 
tragedy,"  returned  the  guide.  "There, 
Zion's  daughter  in  a  new  situation,"  added 
Rothschild,  as  he  caused  another  scene  to 
burst  forth  in  luminous  grandeur. 

An  altered  Temple,  environed  by  an 
altered  Jerusalem,  showed  a  new  state  of 
things.  The  Roman  ensign  and  files  of 
legionaries  told  their  own  story.  The  em 
blematic  figure  was  there  in  her  original 
posture,  but  her  features  were  affected  by  a 
twitch  of  nervous  impatience.  The  ex 
pression  was  intensified  by  the  sight  of  the 
man  of  God  near  her,  who,  rod  in  hand,  was 
on  the  point  of  chastising  a  wayward  boy. 
The  deeper  significance  of  the  tableau  was 
brought  home  by  the  presence  of  a  Roman 
magistrate,  whose  eyes  were  riveted  on  this 
group,  while  his  finger  pointed  to  a  rood  in 
the  distance.  Angry  Hebrews  threw  threat 
ening  glances  at  the  unruly  child  in  the 


300  IN   THE   PALE 

hands  of  the  priest.  The  foreshadowed 
issue  caused  the  Czar  to  exclaim :  "  They 
are  going  to  crucify  our  Saviour." 

"Sire,  not  they;  the  Romans  are  going  to 
crucify  him;  the  Romans  were  his  execu 
tioners.  The  Jews  are  themselves  going  to 
be  crucified,  a  nation  of  martyrs,  for  eigh 
teen  hundred  years,"  returned  the  guide, 
furnishing  the  illustration  to  his  words  by 
breaking  the  night  in  another  recess  at  the 
extreme  end  of  the  grotto. 

Once  more  Zion  was  in  conflagration  ;  the 
Temple  stood  a  dismal  ruin.  The  vast  deso 
lation  was  rendered  ghastly  by  the  slain  and 
the  dying  Judeans.  Roman  legions  made 
havoc  among  the  ill-fated  sons  of  Judah. 
Again  the  daughter  of  Zion  was  seen  as 
she  was  carried  off,  this  time  chained  to  a 
Roman  chariot. 

"  We  should  have  liked  to  see  Judea 
prevail  in  her  final  struggle  for  spiritual 
supremacy,"  graciously  observed  the  Czar, 
evidently  moved  by  the  tragic  scene. 

"  Judea  did  prevail,  Sire,  prevails  to  this 
day,"  asserted  Rothschild,  pointing  to  an- 


THE   CZAR   IN    ROTHSCHILD'S    CASTLE      301 

other  brilliant  display  conjured  up  from 
dense  darkness.  "There,  the  rule  of  the 
black  monk  !  "  cried  he. 

"The  rule  of  the  black  monk,"  echoed 
every  hollow  of  the  labyrinthian  cave. 

A  monk,  the  personification  of  an  irre 
concilable  Church,  had  one  of  his  feet  on  the 
Roman  eagle,  the  other  on  the  neck  of  the 
magistrate.  His  eyes  were  fixed  in  fierce 
hatred  on  the  daughter  of  Zion,  robed  in 
mourning,  and  his  hands  grasped  a  red  cross. 
In  the  background,  separated  from  the 
daughter  of  Zion,  dressed  in  sackcloth  and 
overshadowed  by  the  emblem  of  the  new 
religion,  stood  the  exiled  Jew,  holding  the 
Torah  in  his  embrace.  "  This  needs  no  ex 
planation,  Sire,"  suggested  the  host. 

"  It  needs  none,  Monsieur  le  Baron,"  agreed 
His  Majesty,  looking  for  the  coming  scene. 

"  Neither  does  this  historic  reality  need 
interpretation,"  observed  the  millionaire. 

The  display  called  forth  from  night  by 
the  power  of  the  signet  was  an  infernal 
spectacle  of  outrage  and  carnage  under  a 
lurid  sky.  The  Czar  shuddered  at  the 


302  IN    THE    PALE 

sight  of  fiendish  atrocities  perpetrated  on 
men,  women,  and  children  of  Jewish  features. 
In  the  inhuman  revels  of  cruelty  and  blood 
shed,  the  black  monk  played  the  most  prom 
inent  part;  but  there  were  others  whose  van 
dalism  caused  the  Czar  to  blush  for  shame. 
Among  the  barbarians  that  tore  away 
children  from  the  breasts  of  their  mothers, 
he  recognized  the  instruments  of  his  own 
despotism.  They  were  his  Russians  who 
did  the  dark  deeds.  He  realized  what  this 
implied.  He  had  brought  untold  misery  to 
a  myriad  Jewish  homes  by  robbing  them  of 
their  children  to  baptize  them  in  the  army. 
The  lesson  came  home  to  him  forcibly,  that 
his  place  in  history  was  fixed. 

"  Is  there  anything  else  to  be  seen,  Mon 
sieur  le  Baron?"  inquired  the  monarch,  evi 
dently  anxious  to  have  the  scenes  shifted. 

"  The  brightest  is  yonder,  Sire,"  replied 
the  banker,  turning  the  signet  toward  a  deep 
recess  and  transforming  it  into  a  Messianic 
vision.  "  It  is  the  passing  of  man  from  dark 
ness  to  light." 

The   startling   tableau  was  one  of  trans- 


THE   CZAR    IN    ROTHSCHILD'S    CASTLE      303 

parent  shades  broken  by  a  tremulous  dawn, 
an  indefinable  transition  from  night  to  day. 
Only  half  revealed,  the  emblem  of  Chris 
tianity  was  seen  in  the  background,  and  the 
fierceness  of  the  black  monk  was  relenting  in 
face  of  the  imposing  presence  of  a  thought 
ful  power  surrounded  by  all  the  instruments 
of  modern  research  and  science.  On  the 
brighter  side  of  the  picture,  holding  the 
Torah  in  his  arms,  stood  the  Jew,  unbending, 
but  placid,  sorrowful,  but  unrevengeful. 
Partial  reconciliation  was  indicated  by  the 
friendly  intercourse  of  the  votaries  of  dif 
ferent  denominations  originally  hostile  to 
one  another. 

"And  do  the  Jews  wait  for  the  realization 
of  that  dream  ?"  asked  the  Czar. 

"  Yea,  Sire,  and  for  much  more,  as  soon 
as  humanized  humanity  grasps  the  pro 
phetic  ideal,  which  is  to  make  earth  like 
heaven  by  reuniting  the  divided  race.  Here 
is  the  culmination  of  Israel's  Utopia." 

The  display  brought  to  light  by  the  power 
in  Rothschild's  hand  was  the  grandest  and 
most  overpowering  yet  seen  by  the  Czar. 


304  IN   THE   PALE 

It  was  the  dreamed-of  Messianic  time.  After 
"his  royal  guest  had  earnestly  contemplated 
the  glories  in  sight,  Rothschild  satisfied  his 
unspoken  inquiry  by  volunteering  the  brief 
explanation:  "Love,  justice,  and  universal 
brotherhood,  heavenly  peace,  Sire ;  what 
else  has  this  world  been  created  for?" 

The  panorama  showed  a  blessed  hemi 
sphere  bathed  in  golden  radiance,  as  beau 
tiful  as  Eden,  with  Horeb  outshining  all  the 
splendors  of  the  revealed  regions.  The  peak 
of  the  mountain  appeared  the  focus  of  the 
sun's  effulgence,  reflecting  prodigious  beams 
on  great  numbers  of  the  race,  who  turned 
longing  eyes  toward  the  centre  of  universal 
enlightenment.  At  the  foot  of  the  blazing 
height  stood  the  exile  of  Zion,  robed  in 
priestly  attire,  holding  the  Torah  in  his  em 
brace,  hand  in  hand  with  the  monk,  he,  too, 
all  transformed,  and  arrayed  in  the  white 
garments  of  sacred  ministration. 

"  When  that  comes  to  pass,  there  will  be 
no  Czars  in  Russia,"  whispered  Nicholas, 
overcome  by  the  Messianic  suggestions  of 
the  grandiose  spectacle. 


THE   CZAR    IN    ROTHSCHILD'S    CASTLE      305 

"  There  will  be  neither  boundaries  nor 
ranks  and  titles  to  divide  the  children  of 
man,  Sire,"  said  the  Baron  with  great  earn 
estness. 

"We  do  not  appear  to  draw  near  it,  Mon 
sieur  le  Baron,"  observed  the  Czar. 

"That  is  why  we  Jews  expect  the  Messiah, 
your  Majesty,"  explained  Rothschild. 

"No,  no!  The  Messiah  has  come;  he 
has  come  that  taught  us  to  live  heavenly 
lives.  Let  man  be  blamed  for  living  like  a 
beast,"  asserted  the  Czar  in  a  soft  voice. 

"  Yea,  Sire,  let  that  man,  whoever  he  may 
be,  who  misuses  the  power  vested  in  him  for 
benign  rule  to  multiply  the  woes  of  the  race 
be  blamed,"  supplemented  the  host  point 
edly. 

But  the  Czar  did  not  appear  to  notice  the 
last  words,  his  eyes  being  riveted  on  the 
signet  Rothschild  wore,  as  though  an  inex 
pressible  longing  had  seized  him  to  possess 
it. 

"  If  we  touched  this  seal  of  Solomon, 
would  the  marvels  repeat  themselves  by  the 
virtue  vested  therein  ? "  questioned  the  Czar. 

20 


306  IN    THE   PALE 

Taking  the  hint,  Rothschild  begged  per 
mission  to  put  the  signet-ring  on  the  ringer 
of  his  imperial  guest.  Nicholas  felt  a  cold 
shiver  run  through  his  veins,  and  the  dim 
recesses  of  the  grotto  seemed  to  realize  the 
transfer  of  the  invaluable  jewel.  For  no 
sooner  was  the  ring  on  the  Emperor's  hand, 
than  the  cavern  seemed  to  resent  the  pro 
fanation  of  the  magic  jewel.  A  shaking,  as 
from  a  light  earthquake,  was  accompanied 
by  an  instantaneous  vibration  of  air,  remind 
ing  the  Czar  of  the  atmospheric  disturbance 
caused  by  the  distant  discharge  of  artillery. 
A  faint,  multitudinous  echo,  such  as  one 
sometimes  hears  coming  from  a  glen  or  a 
hollow,  startled  the  imperial  guest.  In  a 
trice  the  echo  swelled  into  the  uproar  of  a 
battling  army.  The  grotto  widened  enor 
mously,  each  recess  subsiding  and  yielding 
up  its  contents,  not  as  lifeless  groups,  but  in 
a  state  of  feverish  activity.  It  was  no  more 
a  cave,  but  a  vast  plain  under  a  clouded 
sky,  teeming  with  bristling  battalions,  and 
ringing  with  the  furious  cries,  groans,  and 
curses  of  battling  races.  Cycles  of  stirring 


THE   CZAR    IN    ROTHSCHILD'S    CASTLE      307 

history  unfolded  their  fearful  tale  before 
the  gaze  of  the  amazed  Nicholas,  who  stood 
horrified  at  the  woes  man  wrought  for  his 
kind.  Presently  his  Russians  rushed  into 
the  arena  of  slaughter,  hyenas  in  human 
form.  Helpless  throngs  were  murdered, 
devilish  crimes  perpetrated,  and  curses 
mixed  with  the  Czar's  name  convulsed  the 
atmosphere.  Suddenly  the  chaos  subsided, 
the  air  cleared,  and  the  two  spectators  saw 
themselves  in  the  heart  of  a  great  city. 

"St.  Petersburg!"  exclaimed  Nicholas. 
Yes,  it  was  St.  Petersburg.  The  brilliant 
files  of  the  Czar's  body-guard  lined  the 
street,  restricting  the  masses  of  human 
ity  to  the  sidewalks.  Muffled  drums  and 
wailing  trumpets  sounded  a  funeral  march, 
to  the  rhythm  of  which  a  black  cortege 
progressed  slowly  toward  a  draped  cathe 
dral.  The  Czar's  hair  stood  on  end.  As 
the  magnificent  catafalque  drawn  by  twelve 
black  horses  passed  the  elevation  whereon 
he  and  Rothschild  stood,  he  beheld  himself 
in  the  coffin,  his  sword  broken,  his  face  yel 
low,  and  his  crown  tarnished.  Without 


308  IN   THE   PALE 

uttering  a  sound,  the  Czar  sank  under  his 
own  weight,  and  lost  all  consciousness  of 
his  surroundings. 

When  he  opened  his  eyes,  he  found  him 
self  in  the  royal  bed  and  under  the  scintil 
lating  canopy.  Instead  of  by  the  lark's  song, 
he  was  greeted  by  the  hooting  of  an  owl. 
He  left  the  castle  as  soon  as  possible,  with 
out  so  much  as  bidding  his  host  adieu. 


THE  LEGEND  OF  THE  TEN  LOST 
TRIBES 

THE  Maggid  is  the  itinerant  preacher 
whose  homilies  furnish  the  impetus 
for  periodical  revivals  in  Slavonic  Jewry. 
The  names  of  famous  Maggidim,  as  for  in 
stance  that  of  the  Maggid  of  Dubno,  are 
reverently  transmitted  from  age  to  age,  and 
their  inspired  utterances  are  treasured  like 
those  of  prophecy.  What  a  great  Maggid 
does  not  know  of  sacred,  particularly  Mid- 
rashic  lore,  is  not  held  to  be  worth  knowing. 
The  arrival  of  a  Maggid  at  a  Jewish  centre 
of  population  is  an  event  equalled  only  by 
the  coming  of  a  celebrated  Chazan,  and  the 
coincident  arrival  of  both  creates  great  ex 
citement.  There  are  instances  on  record 
when  Maggid  and  Chazan  exhausted  their 
resources  in  the  attempt  to  excel  each  other 
in  the  impression  they  produce  on  the 
masses,  who  gather  to  be  edified  by  their 
speech  and  song.  Like  the  Chazan,  the 
(309) 


310  IN   THE   PALE 

Maggid  arrives  unheralded,  yea,  uninvited ; 
like  him,  he  is  welcomed  everywhere,  espe 
cially  if  fame  precedes  him,  as  is  the  case  with 
most  Maggidim  that  deserve  the  name  they 
bear.  Mediocrity  forces  the  Chasan  and  the 
Maggid  to  look  for  other  callings. 

The  Maggid  is  a  power  for  good.  Black- 
haired,  long-bearded,  two  shining  curls  de 
scending  from  his  temples  to  a  line  with  the 
lower  jaw,  a  high  forehead,  noble,  earnest 
features,  frequently  relieved  by  a  tinge  of 
good  humor,  he  as  a  rule  possesses  an  im 
posing  presence,  which  is  further  dignified 
by  a  long,  flowing  robe  of  satin  or  atlas,  and 
is  crowned  by  a  towering  cap  of  sable. 

The  genuine  Maggid\)Q,&t$  himself  majes 
tically,  and  suits  his  actions  to  his  carriage. 
In  his  individuality  there  is  a  combination 
of  the  dignity  of  the  judge,  the  intense  en 
thusiasm  of  the  prophet,  the  solemn  de 
meanor  of  the  tragedian,  the  imagination 
and  fire  of  the  poet,  and  the  ready  wit  of 
the  comedian.  What  he  brands  as  wicked 
ness,  men  are  deterred  from  doing.  His 
apostrophes  addressed  to  virtue  are  divine ; 


LEGEND   OF   THE   TEN   LOST   TRIBES       311 

his  verbal  pictures  of  the  torments  of  Gehin- 
nom  are  blood-curdling,  and  his  descriptions 
of  the  delights  of  Gan-Eden,  or  Paradise,  are 
Dantesque.  His  study  is  human  nature, 
and  he  never  ascends  the  pulpit  before  he  is 
well  informed  on  local  affairs,  and  woe  betide 
him  who,  being  rich,  indulges  in  meanness, 
or,  being  strong,  revels  in  abuse  of  the  weak. 
The  death-bed,  the  bier,  the  terrific  angel 
who  pays  the  first  call  to  the  buried,  the 
Throne  of  Judgment,  hell-fire,  brimstone, 
pools  of  boiling  pitch,  all  the  horrors  of 
Abaddon,  are  conjured  up  and  depicted  with 
such  realistic  vividness  as  to  chill  the  audi 
ence  to  the  very  marrow. 

The  Maggid  knows  neither  fear  nor  the 
desire  to  please ;  he  has  a  message  and  a 
mission,  and  he  acquits  himself  of  his  self- 
imposed  duty  in  a  manner  that  would  do 
honor  to  an  Elijah.  He  is  listened  to  with 
bated  breath  for  hours  ;  his  voice  continues 
to  ring  in  every  ear  for  weeks  after  he  is 
gone ;  his  notes  and  gestures  are  imitated 
by  such  as  possess  the  ability  to  do  so;  his 
exhortations  are  on  every  lip,  and  his  meta- 


312  IN   THE   PALE 

phors,  similes,  and  illustrations  become 
household  quotations,  passing  from  parent 
to  child,  from  one  town  to  the  other.  Stern 
as  the  average  Maggid  appears,  his  quiver  is 
filled  with  the  withering  shafts  of  ridicule, 
and  his  wit  and  humor  are  acknowledged 
with  smiles  of  delight,  sometimes  with  peals 
of  laughter. 

In  familiar  intercourse  the  Maggid  is 
an  excellent  companion,  knows  and  sings  the 
newest  tunes  of  the  best  Cfiazanim,  amuses 
the  people  by  recounting  a  hundred  funny  in 
cidents,  which  he  has  experienced  on  his 
travels,  and,  what  is  most  highly  valued,  has 
an  inexhaustible  repertory  of  stories  to  draw 
upon  for  the  edification  of  his  friends. 

Such  a  Maggid  was  Menahem  of  Odessa. 
Of  the  many  legends  circulated  in  his 
name,  those  about  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes 
and  the  B'nai  Mosheh  may  serve  as  samples. 
They  have  often  been  told  and  retold,  and 
here  they  shall  be  set  down  substantially  as 
they  have  been  translated  from  the  jargon, 
or  Yiddish  Deutsch,  in  which  they  are  extant 
in  manuscript : 


LEGEND   OF   THE   TEN   LOST   TRIBES       313 

"  In  my  early  childhood  I  was  very  fond  of 
listening  to  thrilling  tales,  and  close  attention 
enabled  me  to  acquire  local  reputation  as  a 
consummate  story-teller,  so  that  my  school 
mates  regaled  me  with  a  portion  of  their 
luncheon  in  exchange  for  the  stories  I 
evolved  from  a  retentive  memory,  and  em 
bellished  by  a  fertile  imagination.  As  I 
was  naturally  impressionable,  the  tales  I 
heard  reproduced  themselves  in  an  incoher 
ent  chain  of  dreams.  These  I  told  to  my 
parents,  who  listened  to  me  with  silent  won 
der,  especially  my  mother,  who  was  a  very 
pious  woman,  and  believed  that  dreams 
come  from  God,  and  are  breathed  by  angels 
into  the  ears  of  infancy,  which  accounts  for 
the  sweet  smiles  so  often  seen  on  the  faces 
of  infants  while  asleep.  The  angels  com 
mune  with  the  immaculate  souls  of  babes, 
reveal  mysteries  and  transcendent  scenes  in 
the  valleys  of  Eden  to  them,  and  the  smiles 
are  the  expressions  of  felicity.  To  my  child 
ish  imagination  those  tales  and  dreams  were 
as  real  as  reality.  To  this  moment,  while 
preaching  to  crowded  synagogues  and  wan- 


314  IN   THE   PALE 

dering  from  city  to  city,  I  am  under  the  im 
pression  that  invisible  powers  watch  over 
me,  put  fire  into  my  soul,  and  teach  me  what 
I  am  to  say  in  the  name  of  truth  and  right 
eousness.  In  fact,  I  have  of  late  been  af 
fected  by  the  illusion  that  I  am  in  dream 
land,  surrounded  by  a  multitude  of  phan 
toms,  and  I  entertain  the  hope  that  I  shall 
one  day  awaken  to  find  that  what  I  so  long 
believed  to  be  my  real  existence  was  but  a 
fitful  hallucination.  Who  can  prove  that 
death  is  not  an  exit  from  the  phantom-play 
called  life? 

"  Another  conclusion  of  mine,  which 
would  fairly  account  for  the  universal  mad 
ness  here,  where  intelligent  beings  sacrifice 
their  bliss  of  soul  to  the  gross  pleasures  of 
the  body,  is  that  earth  is  one  of  the  remote 
spheres,  set  apart  by  the  Supreme  Ruler  for 
the  sojourn  of  erratic  spirits;  greed,  vice, 
wickedness,  murder,  and  war  being  sure 
symptoms  of  insanity.  A  myriad  men  and 
women  are  daily  delivered  to  the  grave ; 
everyone  sees  and  knows  that  this  is  the 
end ;  yet  everyone  goes  home,  takes  dinner, 


LEGEND   OF   THE   TEN   LOST   TRIBES       315 

and  toils  for  the  next  meal.  The  few  sane 
men  who  have  blessed  the  world  with  their 
presence  are  the  thinkers,  the  prophets, 
and  the  poets,  the  great  dreamers  that  out 
live  and  outshine  the  colossal  bipeds  mis 
called  the  great.  The  grandest  dream  on 
record  is  that  of  Jacob's  ladder.  It  connects 
heaven  and  earth,  and  is  the  symbol  of 
Israel's  mission.  The  ascent  and  descent  of 
angels  signifies  the  eternal  circulation  of 
matter  and  spirit.  If  you  hope  to  rise 
heavenward,  you  must  leave  matter  behind. 
Jacob's  offspring  are  to  spread  on  this  earth 
and  to  teach  man  how  to  ascend  that  ladder. 
Whatever  member  of  the  human  race  is 
idealized,  whatever  soul  is  etherealized, 
wears  the  garland  woven  of  the  prophet's 
and  the  poet's  dreams.  I  take  this  universe 
to  be  the  realization  of  a  supernal  dream. 
God  dreamed,  and  there  was  light  and  life, 
a  billion  hosts  of  angels,  and  countless 
myriads  of  constellations,  and  galaxies  of 
fiery  orbs. 

"  I  may  assert  that  I  have  seen,  learned, 
and  heard  many  unaccountable   things  in 


316  IN   THE   PALE 

this  life.  In  Constantinople,  the  wonder 
ful  city  of  cities,  I  passed  the  most  profit 
able  years  of  my  youth.  The  Caliph 
forces  nobody  to  believe  what  he  believes  ; 
all  creeds  and  nationalities  are  tolerated. 
Thus  unoppressed,  our  brethren  there  are 
far  in  advance  of  the  Turk  in  knowledge, 
and  fill  offices  of  trust  in  the  imperial  gov 
ernment.  Happily  I  was  among  those  of 
the  rising  generation  whose  parents  thought 
less  of  worldly  than  of  intellectual  dis 
tinction.  My  teachers  were  the  best,  and 
I  early  found  Jewish  history  to  have  a  resist 
less  fascination  for  me.  I  discovered  in  it 
tragic  grandeur  excelled  nowhere  in  prose 
or  in  poetry.  How  anyone  could  study  our 
Scriptures  and  read  our  history  without 
reverence,  was  to  me  incomprehensible. 
The  epic  of  humanity  centres  in  the  career 
of  Israel.  With  Moses  as  the  sky-bearing 
Atlas,  Judah's  triumph  should  suffer  no 
fluctuation.  But  how  explain  the  untold 
woes  of  Jacob's  progeny?  Why  do  other 
tribes  multiply  and  ramify,  until  continents 
are  filled  with  their  ever-growing  numbers, 


LEGEND    OF   THE   TEN   LOST  TRIBES 

while  we  are  to-day  numerically  the  same 
as  in  the  times  of  David  ? 

"The  answer  rny  teacher  gave  me  was: 
We  have  lost  ten  of  our  tribes,  besides  the 
vast  multitude  of  the  B'nai  Mosheh,  of  whom 
history  is  silent.  What  a  loss,  if  irretriev 
able!  Where  can  the  lost  tribes  be?  And 
where  the  B'nai  Mosheh?  Surely  they  are 
somewhere,  I  concluded,  and  thenceforth  my 
sole  wish  and  thought  was  to  discover  a 
clue  that  would  enable  me  to  solve  the  prob 
lem  of  our  history.  Instead  of  the  small 
fraction  we  now  are  among  the  nations  of 
earth,  we  should  rise  to  be  a  power  of  over 
one  hundred  millions.  Our  position  would 
be  strong  and  commanding  enough  for  us  to 
reclaim  our  heritage  and  rebuild  the  Sanc 
tuary  of  Zion.  My  soul  was  fired  by  the 
idea,  and  I  could  not  rid  myself  of  the  belief 
that  it  was  my  destiny  to  reunite  the  scat 
tered  sheep  of  ancient  Israel  and  Judah. 

"My  father  objected  to  the  chimera,  as  he 
termed  it,  seeing  that  it  possessed  all  my 
being  to  the  exclusion  of  every  other  thought, 
but  my  mind  was  inflamed,  inaccessible  to 


318  IN   THE   PALE 

reason,  though  sensitive  to  ridicule,  to  both 
of  which  my  father  resorted  in  vain.  What 
ever  literature  I  could  procure  in  reference 
to  the  subject  close  to  my  heart,  I  devoured 
with  avidity,  but  there  was  no  clue  to  the 
mystery  in  any  of  the  works  I  read.  Some 
authors  assumed  the  English,  others  the 
Japanese,  to  be  the  descendants  of  the  Lost 
Tribes.  None  contained  an  allusion  to  the 
B'nai  Mosheh,  who,  according  to  the  Word 
of  God,  were  to  be  as  numerous  as  Israel. 

"That  the  world  knew  nothing  of  them 
did  not,  in  my  judgment,  preclude  the  possi 
bility  of  their  flourishing  in  some  un 
approachable  region.  A  time  came  for 
America  to  be  discovered;  who  could  say 
that  the  time  had  not  come  for  the  lost  of 
our  race  to  be  restored  to  us?  The  thought 
that  the  solution  of  this  problem  was  to  be 
the  glory  of  my  life  ripened  into  a  certainty 
within  me. 

"  One  afternoon,  as  the  shadow  of  things 
lengthened  in  the  mellow  light  of  declining 
day,  while  out  for  a  walk  in  the  suburbs  of 
Estamboul,  I  was  stopped  by  a  person  of  at 


LEGEND    OF   THE   TEN    LOST   TRIBES       319 

least  five  times  my  age  and  of  weird  appear 
ance.  He  was  a  man  known  as  the  '  silent 
mystic;'  was  regarded  with  awe  by  those 
who  knew  of  his  holy  nature,  and  was  often 
received  reverently  at  our  home,  for  he  was 
poor,  and  depended  for  the  scant  food  he 
needed  on  the  "bounty  of  open  hands.  His 
figure  was  tall  and  lean ;  his  look  deep  and 
sombre  ;  his  eyes  shone  mysteriously  from 
hollow  sockets ;  his  jaw  was  strikingly 
pointed,  his  face  fearfully  wrinkled,  and  his 
hands  as  bony  and  dry  as  the  talons  of  a 
bird.  The  man  looked  like  a  skeleton  cov 
ered  with  yellow  parchment.  Silently  he 
laid  his  right  hand  on  my  head,  looked  into 
my  eyes,  and  appeared  to  read  the  secret  of 
my  soul.  An  unearthly  illumination  shed  a 
passing  glow  on  his  sallow  countenance,  his 
lips  moved  as  if  in  prayer,  but  no  sound  was 
heard. 

"  Suddenly  he  turned  around,  drawing  me 
resistlessly  after  him.  I  followed  unalarmed, 
knowing  him  to  be  a  holy  man,  who  broke 
his  fast  but  once  a  week,  on  the  eve  of  the 
Sabbath.  The  mystic  was  winged  with 


320  IN   THE    PALE 

speed,  advancing  at  a  rate  totally  unpropor- 
tioned  to  his  strength,  and  he  held  me  under 
an  influence  that  bore  me  along  like  a  thing 
without  will.  Up-hill,  down-hill,  through 
valley,  forest,  meadow,  glen,  and  field,  across 
rivers  and  swamps,  he  drew  me  onward, 
never  looking  behind  him,  but  sweeping  on 
ward,  onward,  as  though  space  were  naught, 
and  the  law  of  gravitation  had  ceased  to 
operate,  until  the  skies  grew  dim,  and  twi 
light  merged  into  thickening  night,  when, 
passing  through  a  valley  between  two  piles 
of  jet-black  rock,  he  stood  before  a  dismal 
cave,  illumined  by  a  single  wax  taper,  which 
magnified  our  shadows  prodigiously. 

"  Here  he  turned  round  to  look  at  me,  and 
I  perceived  an  astonishing  change  in  his 
features.  He  was  another  man.  Behind 
the  unsightly  mask  had  been  hidden  a  figure 
of  symmetrical  beauty  and  manly  vigor. 
The  marvelous  transformation  extended  to 
the  ring  of  his  voice.  A  genial  smile  illum 
ined  his  face,  as  he  said  : 

" '  Thy  wish,  my  son,  shall  in  part  be  ful 
filled;  thou  shalt  behold  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes, 


LEGEND   OF   THE   TEN   LOST   TRIBES       321 

and  be  among1  the  blessed  children  of  our 
immortal  master,  Moses.  In  this  hollow  of 
the  dark  mountains  thou  art  bidden  to  fast 
with  me  seventy  moons,  breaking  thy  fast 
every  Sabbath  eve  on  the  food  the  Lord  will 
provide.  Never  let  a  profane  word  pass 
thy  lip,  nor  think  of  aught  unholy,  but  pon 
der  on  the  work  I  shall  place  in  thy  hand. 
Do  as  I  prompt  thee,  and  let  thy  faith  be 
perfect.  Thy  reward  will  be  the  revelation 
of  the  Holiest  Name,  first  revealed  to  Adam 
in  Eden,  who  passed  it  on  to  the  patriarchs. 
From  them  it  came  down  to  the  good  men 
that  led  Israel  before  the  fall  of  Zion,  after 
which  it  was  lost  to  us.  By  virtue  of  that 
Name  the  son  of  Amram  performed  his  great 
wonders.  Entrusted  to  Aaron,  the  Name 
passed  from  high  priest  to  high  priest,  to  be 
uttered  on  the  Day  of  Atonement  in  the 
Holy  of  Holies.  By  the  might  vested  in 
that  Name,  Joshua  stopped  the  career  of 
the  sun,  Elijah  called  down  fire  from  heaven, 
and  brought  the  dead  to  life,  and  prophets 
pierced  the  veil  of  futurity.  You  shall  hear 
more  thereof  in  the  Isle  of  the  Elect.' 

21 


322  IN    THE    PALE 

"  On  hearing  this,  I  reverently  took  my 
seat  at  the  feet  of  the  holy  man,  who  handed 
me  a  volume  full  of  mystic  lore,  containing 
a  long  list  of  mysterious  names  of  high 
spirits  in  the  skies.  Therein  I  read,  and 
reading  mused,  and  wondrous  trances  and 
dreams  came  over  me,  and  my  soul  soared 
in  a  haze  of  weird  visions.  I  held  the  work 
God  had  given  Adam  in  Paradise  that  he 
might  understand  the  secrets  of  creation, 
and  in  my  meditations  past  and  present  were 
forgotten.  All  the  wants  of  the  body  were 
subdued  by  the  thirst  of  the  soul  to  pene 
trate  the  deep  purport  of  Kabbalistic  revela 
tions. 

"And  so  days  and  nights  passed  like  hours, 
weeks  glided  by  like  days,  and  the  moons 
and  the  seasons  came  and  went,  and  when 
the  period  of  my  probation  drew  to  a  close,  a 
great  vision  broke  on  me.  The  heavens 
opened,  and  the  Great  Name  was  legibly 
written  in  the  stars  of  the  empyrean,  the 
universe  all  the  while  blazing  with  fiery  con 
stellations  and  hosts  of  seraphim. 

"  I  rose  in  the  morning  with  new  strength 


LEGEND  OF  THE  TEN  LOST  TRIBES   323 

in  my  arms,  a  mighty  impulse  in  my  heart, 
and  a  power  in  my  eyes  that  enabled  me 
to  see  things  in  a  light  hitherto  unknown 
to  me.  The  darkness  seemed  bright,  the 
desert  beautiful,  and  the  skies  deeper  and 
sweeter  than  ever  before. 

"  '  Thou  hast  the  Ineffable  Name  graven  in 
thy  memory;  wherefore  go  whithersoever 
thy  heart  leadeth  thee,  and  have  thy  wish 
fulfilled,'  whispered  the  mystic. 

<%As  one  soaring  on  eagle's  wings,  off  I 
hurried,  instinct  with  superhuman  vigor.  My 
heart  drew  me  southward.  Soon  the  moun 
tains  vanished  in  the  rear,  and  before  me 
spread  a  sunny  vast  of  earth  and  sky  with 
all  the  glories  of  a  blessed  May.  My  path 
way  ran  along  a  placid  stream,  meandering 
through  tropic  luxuriance  of  mead  and 
grove  and  discharging  its  crystal  tide  into 
an  ocean,  calm  and  blue  as  azure. 

"  Before  the  waters  of  the  unruffled  sea 
I  stood  alone,  knowing  my  goal  to  be  far 
beyond  the  deep.  How  traverse  the  abyss  ? 
1  Spread  thy  mantle  on  the  wave,'  whispered 
a  voice  within  me.  And,  acting  on  this  im- 


324  IN   THE   PALE 

pulse,  I  embarked  on  my  garment,  which 
stiffened  into  a  boat,  the  centre  yielding  and 
the  edges  rising.  A  new-born  breeze  pro 
pelled  me  lightly  farther  and  farther  away 
from  the  shore,  until  there  was  naught  in 
sight  save  sky  and  water  and  myself 
between.  Undismayed  I  looked  toward 
the  South,  the  Great  Name  burning  in  my 
memory. 

"As  though  to  try  my  faith,  a  gale  came 
bursting  from  the  North,  driving  the  thick 
threatening  clouds  that  hung  in  the  horizon 
and  upheaving  mountainous  billows.  I  stood 
unaffected,  fearless  as  the  sea-gull.  And 
when  the  darkness  had  subsided,  the  waves 
changed  into  ripples,  and  I  beheld  with 
delight  a  range  of  white  mountains,  which, 
washed  at  their  base  by  transparent  waters, 
towered,  like  enormous  icebergs,  into  the 
very  deep  of  the  blue  heavens.  I  drifted 
gently  toward  the  nearest  landing  point,  and 
set  foot  on  a  shore  of  soft  breezes,  saturated 
with  delicious  odors. 

"At  first  the  region  appeared  deserted  by 
life  and  inhospitable ;  but  farther  in  spread 


LEGEND   OF   THE   TEN   LOST  TRIBES       325 

a  landscape  fairer  and  stranger  than  the 
strangest  things  the  eye  has  ever  seen. 
Either  my  sight  magnified  nature's  products 
to  gigantic  proportions,  or  the  world  I  had 
left  behind  was  a  miniature  representation 
of  what  I  beheld  here  in  towering  glory. 

"Pleasant  drowsiness  stole  over  me,  coup 
led  with  a  thirst  that  forced  me  to  look 
for  a  cooling  drink.  A  bubbling  spring 
near  by,  under  a  tree  of  a  magnitude  seen 
nowhere  else,  furnished  the  longed-for 
draught.  Then,  yielding  to  an  overpower 
ing  somnolence,  I  dreamed  dreams  the 
sweetest  I  have  ever  had,  so  that,  on  open 
ing  my  eyes,  I  was  sorry  to  find  that  the  sun 
had  risen. 

"Nothing  within  sight  indicated  ordin 
ary  life,  except  a  number  of  star-dotted 
birds,  sparkling  in  the  bushy  foliage  of  the 
tree  that  gave  me  shelter  and  ease.  The 
turf  was  softer  than  moss,  free  from  decayed 
roots  and  blades,  and  emitted  an  aroma 
that  affected  the  senses  like  nepenthe.  I 
should  have  continued  to  yield  to  slumber, 
which  weighed  down  my  eyelids,  had  it  not 


326  IN   THE   PALE 

been  for  the  discomfort  caused  me  by  my 
garments.  Everything  about  my  body  tight 
ened,  especially  my  shoes,  which  threatened 
to  burst  on  my  feet.  Something  was  going 
on  with  my  physical  frame,  for  on  removing 
my  shoes  I  found  them  to  be  much  smaller 
than  the  feet  they  had  encased,  and  the 
rounded  shape  of  my  hands  left  no  doubt 
that  I  was  undergoing  an  unaccountable 
process  of  bodily  expansion  and  renovation. 
My  limbs  looked  not  unlike  those  of  a  giant 
baby,  fresh,  tender,  transparent,  and  beauti 
ful,  and  I  could  not  help  laughing  at  sight 
of  my  dimpled  hands  and  rosy  infant  face. 
The  sound  of  my  voice  startled  me.  I  could 
hardly  believe  my  ears.  The  succession  of 
notes  vibrated  through  the  air  like  song, 
voice  and  echo  melting  into  sweet  harmony. 
"Anon  sweeter  music  than  human  voice 
could  produce  diverted  my  attention.  Feath 
ered  musicians  burst  forth  into  such  raptur 
ous  strains  as  man  never  heard  in  field  or 
grove.  Rapt  with  delight,  I  listened,  listened, 
and  dreamed  of  things  dear,  mysterious,  and 
holy. 


LEGEND   OF   THE   TEN   LOST   TRIBES       327 

"Once  more  sleep  took  me  in  its  soft 
embrace.  When  I  opened  my  eyes,  it 
was  about  noontide.  A  huge  lion,  his 
tufted  tail  raised,  was  sniffing  around  me. 
All  fear  deserted  me.  The  royal  animal 
licked  my  hands,  and  playfully  purred 
around  me  like  a  gentle  kitten.  I  fondled  it 
with  great  pleasure.  By  various  expressions 
of  its  wish  the  noble  brute  induced  me  to 
mount  it,  and  carried  me  in  less  time  than 
it  takes  to  tell  to  a  shaded  brooklet,  landing 
me  in  the  midst  of  a  flock  of  snow-white 
sheep  as  large  as  heifers.  Happy  land  of 
Messianic  peace!  Whoever  they  be  that 
dwell  here,  their  Messiah  has  come  indeed! 
was  my  natural  thought. 

"  Half  lost  in  reverie,  yet  conscious  of  my 
wondrous  surroundings,  I  set  out  to  pene 
trate  to  the  interior  of  the  fairy  land.  As 
I  stopped  at  a  limpid  fountain  to  quench  my 
thirst,  I  recoiled  astonished  from  my  own 
reflection  therein.  If  that  was  my  likeness 
—and  how  could  I  doubt  it? — there  was  lit 
tle  left  of  my  previous  self.  What  a  stature 
and  complexion  were  mine! 


328  IN   THE    PALE 

"  Forced  to  remove  my  clothes,  which  mo 
lested  me,  I  threw  myself  into  a  brook  as 
clear  as  beryl,  and  rose  from  the  water  re 
newed  in  body  and  soul.  Samson,  with  his 
locks  full  grown,  could  not  have  been  more 
conscious  of  his  prodigious  power  than  I  was 
of  mine.  The  earth  appeared  to  tremble 
under  my  tread.  A  leap  carried  me  over  the 
brook.  Another  bound  lifted  me  to  the  high 
est  point  of  a  stately  cedar  tree,  whence,  like 
a  bird,  I  darted  from  bough  to  bough,  from 
tree  to  tree.  Reveling  in  my  acquired 
strength,  I  repeated  the  feat  again  and 
again,  leaping  and  bounding  and  finishing 
with  another  plunge  in  the  delicious  tide. 

"  Suddenly  I  realized  that  the  landscape 
was  sinking  under  my  feet.  Soft  hoops 
gently  enclosed  my  frame,  and  I  was  soaring 
in  mid-air.  Before  I  had  had  time  to  ac 
count  for  my  curious  experience,  I  found 
myself  seated  on  the  palm  of  an  outstretched 
hand  belonging  to  a  Titan  of  most  prepos 
sessing  physiognomy.  We  exchanged  a 
look  of  mutual  surprise.  But  his  smile  was 
reassuring.  Had  he  chosen  to  close  his 


LEGEND    OF   THE   TEN   LOST   TRIBES       329 

hand,  I  should  not  have  been  here  to  tell  the 
tale.  Instead,  he  advanced  with  a  step 
commensurate  with  his  size,  leaving  me 
to  infer  that  he  proposed  to  exhibit  rne  to 
his  fellows. 

"  It  was  a  thrilling  sensation  to  be  thus 
conveyed  through  the  higher  currents  of  a 
mysterious  atmosphere  in  the  hand  of  a 
mysterious  being.  I  felt  like  one  placed  on 
a  walking  tower  viewing  the  glories  of  a 
vast  horizon. 

"  As  I  had  anticipated,  several  of  his  kind, 
beautiful  Cyclopean  shapes  of  God's  perfect 
workmanship,  issuing  from  pyramidal  bow 
ers,  responded  to  his  call.  No  intrusive 
inquisitiveness,  only  calm  wonder,  marked 
their  speech  and  manner,  gentle  as  the  air 
they  inhaled.  Their  language  was  Hebrew, 
spoken  as  melodiously  as  when  David  sang 
his  sacred  odes  to  the  Almighty,  and  in  this 
tongue  I  answered  their  questions. 

"  Such  were  the  first  representatives  I  met 
of  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes,  who  inhabit  the 
outskirts  of  nether  Eden. 

"  How   had    they   reached   these   blessed 


330  IN   THE   PALE 

regions  ?  Driven  from  the  Land  of  Promise 
by  grim  oppressors,  and  full  of  faith  that 
Israel's  God  never  forsakes  the  righteous, 
they  had  prayed  for  deliverance,  and  had 
had  a  vision  that  their  petition  was  granted. 
Elijah  had  appeared  at  three  different 
places,  each  time  pointing  to  the  South  as 
the  seat  of  salvation.  The  Elders  had  taken 
the  hint,  inspired  the  discouraged  myriads 
with  hope,  and  caused  them  to  embark  in 
thousands  of  crafts  on  the  southern  sea, 
sure  that,  as  in  the  case  of  the  B'nai  Mosheh 
ages  before,  the  winds  of  heaven  would 
carry  them  to  their  destination.  No  sooner 
did  their  vessels  touch  the  wave  than  a 
breeze  propelled  the  fragile  fleet,  wafting 
them  for  many  days  under  a  benignant 
sky,  until  they  reached  nether  Eden,  now 
the  Isle  of  the  Elect,  once  boundless 
Paradise,  transplanted  bodily  after  the  fall 
of  the  first  human  pair  to  this  region 
beyond  the  sea.  Gobi,  or  the  Desert  of 
Shamo,  marks  the  place  once  occupied  by 
the  original  Eden. 

"  Undisturbed  by  sublunary  tribulations 


LEGEND   OF   THE   TEN   LOST   TRIBES       33! 

the  habitants  of  nether  Eden  live  in  the 
delightful  mildness  of  perpetual  spring, 
cultivate  and  beautify  the  soil,  and  sing 
hymns  to  the  Bestower  of  all  good.  Their 
dwellings  are  odoriferous  bowers  of  unfad 
ing  palm-leaves,  intertwined  with  flowery 
climbers  and  a  wealth  of  blossoms,  mixed 
with  the  luscious  grape,  each  habitation 
rising  like  a  tower  of  delicious  foliage,  flow 
ers,  and  fruits. 

"  Eden's  four  streams  here  roll  their  limpid 
tides  over  beds  of  golden  sands,  watering 
meads  and  vales  teeming  with  paradisiacal 
wonders.  Plenteous  nature  spares  them 
physical  toil.  Work  with  them  means  diver 
sion  and  the  gratification  of  an  inborn 
impulse  to  beautify  the  beautiful.  Neces 
sity  begotten  of  want  and  all  other  ills  to 
which  man  is  heir  elsewhere,  are  unknown 
to  them. 

"  The  first  pilgrims  to  land  on  the  border 
of  the  blessed  Isle  died  of  high  age,  having 
brought  with  them  the  germ  of  mortality, 
and  I  was  permitted  to  see  them  in  their 
sepulchres,  resting  life-like,  as  though  in 


332  IN   THE   PALE 

sleep.  Not  so  their  descendants,  who  were 
rendered  immortal  by  their  birth  in  the 
deathless  clime,  men  and  women  continuing 
ever  young  and  blooming.  But  if  no  cave 
has  to  be  hollowed  out  for  the  preservation 
of  the  dead,  neither  is  there  need  for  a 
cradle,  death  having  ceased  with  the  expira 
tion  of  the  fathers,  and  birth  with  the  birth 
of  their  immediate  offspring. 

"  The  only  tradition  kept  alive  among 
them  is  the  destruction  of  the  Holy  City  by 
Nebuchadnezzar.  The  memory  of  Moses 
and  Samuel  they  hold  in  awful  reverence. 
The  sacred  Law  they  treasure  as  the  most 
precious  elixir  of  spiritual  felicity.  Periodi 
cally  dreams  and  visions  are  vouchsafed 
unto  them  from  on  high.  Worship  and 
love  are  to  them  interchangeable  terms. 
Only  through  the  prohibitory  ordinances  in 
the  Law  do  they  know  that  sin  and  vice 
exist  elsewhere.  So  far  removed  are  they 
from  wickedness  and  corruption,  that  it 
passes  their  comprehension  how  an  intelli 
gent  being  can  be  guilty  of  them. 

"  My  arrival  was  soon  heralded  through- 


LEGEND  OF  THE  TEN  LOST  TRIBES   333 

out  the  broad  zone  along  the  border  of  the 
Isle,  reaches  covering  hundreds  of  leagues 
and  wholly  possessed  by  the  Tribes.  I 
expressed  my  wish  to  meet  as  many  of  them 
as  possible,  and  it  was  fulfilled  expeditiously. 
The  result  was  an  enormous  multitude  of 
gigantic  youths  and  maidens,  who  gathered 
on  the  bank  of  a  mighty  stream. 

"  It  was  on  a  Friday  afternoon  when,  sta 
tioned  on  a  steep  rock,  I  faced  my  immense 
audience  with  inexpressible  exultation.  A 
myriad  brilliant  eyes  were  turned  on  me, 
waiting  for  the  message  from  their  brethren 
in  exile  which  I  had  promised  to  impart. 
A  slight  trepidation  stole  over  me.  Who 
was  I  to  address  so  illustrious  an  assembly? 
By  a  strange  association  of  thought  I  was 
reminded  of  the  great  encampment  sur 
veyed  by  Balaam,  and  the  wizard's  eloquent 
apostrophe  was  on  my  lip :  *  How  beautiful 
are  thy  tents,  O  Jacob,  thy  dwelling  places, 
O  Israel/  But  the  words  died  before  they 
were  uttered.  The  heavens  frowned,  and 
earth  shuddered.  Phenomenal  gloom  dark 
ened  the  loveliness  of  nature.  With  the 


334  IN  THE  PALE 

suddenness  of  lightning  came  a  furious 
blast  and  an  earthquake,  with  symptoms 
characteristic  of  a  volcanic  eruption.  Min 
gled  with  the  fury  of  the  disturbance  was 
heard  blood-freezing  howling  and  wailing, 
as  of  souls  in  torment.  My  heart  was 
seized  with  pity,  which  must  have  expressed 
itself  on  my  countenance,  for  I  was  calmly 
informed  that  the  uproar  was  due  to  the 
ascent  of  the  shades  doomed  to  expiate  their 
sins  in  She'ol,  who  are  released  at  the  ap 
proach  of  the  Sabbath,  and  permitted  to 
rest  on  the  holy  day  in  the  outskirts  of  Eden. 
"A  chill  ran  through  the  marrow  of  my 
bones.  In  the  next  moment  myriads  of 
reprobate  ghosts  were  to  be  around  me,  lis 
tening  to  my  speech.  The  commotion,  how 
ever,  lasted  but  a  few  minutes.  Reassured 
by  the  composure  of  the  multitude  before  me, 
I  regained  courage,  and  it  was  made  clear  to 
me  that  immortal  beings  are  inaccessible  to 
fear,  which  is  an  attribute  of  mortality.  To 
my  question  whether  Eden  and  She'ol  were 
in  close  proximity,  the  answer  was :  '  As 
Virtue  and  Vice.' 


LEGEND  OF  THE  TEN  LOST  TRIBES   335 

"  As  soon  as  the  storm  had  subsided,  things 
not  only  resumed  their  former  serenity,  but 
looked  lovelier  than  before,  the  glories  of  the 
Sabbath  enhancing  the  beauties  of  Eden, 
and  redoubling  the  spiritual  delights  of  its 
dwellers.  Inspired  by  the  grandiose  en 
vironments,  I  began  to  impart  my  message, 
reciting  the  melancholy  tale  of  our  people's 
interminable  woes :  how  the  cycles  had 
rolled  on,  and  Israel  was  yet  homeless, 
scorned  by  barbarous  nations,  hated,  de 
famed,  disgraced,  yea,  oppressed,  and  out 
raged,  for  no  other  cause  than  his  unswerv 
ing  loyalty  to  his  God — he,  the  bearer  of 
Jehovah's  banner,  the  messenger  of  peace 
and  salvation  to  all  men.  Races  unworthy 
of  the  imperishable  gifts  of  his  soul  despise 
him,  trample  on  his  manhood,  turn  his  life 
into  a  burning  desert,  a  Sahara  of  hatred 
and  persecution.  Yet  how  faithful  he,  ever 
blessing  the  Holy  One,  breathing  his  last  in 
agony,  but  never  betraying  his  Maker. 

"  I  wound  up  with  a  strong  appeal  to  my 
intensely  interested  audience  to  unite  in 
prayer,  that  a  redeemer  be  sent  to  deliver 


IN   THE   PALE 

them  from  a  maddened  world  sunk  in  sin. 
My  voice  trembled  with  deep  emotion,  yet 
rang  clear  as  a  silver  bell,  when  I  cried  : 

"  '  Shall  Zion  mourn  forever,  mankind  for 
ever  grope  in  darkness?  Where  is  faith, 
where  reverence,  love,  virtue,  truth  ?  The 
discomfiture  of  the  Lord's  own  people  per 
petuates  the  triumph  of  falsehood,  retards 
the  realization  of  the  Prophet's  promised 
era  of  universal  peace  and  brotherhood. 
Help  your  martyred  brethren,  O  ye  favored 
of  Him  whom  we  worship  and  bless  in 
unison !' 

"  The  response  was  a  multitudinous  roar  of 
pain,  and  faces  hitherto  unclouded  by  earthly 
cares  turned  prayerfully  toward  heaven, 
their  petition  swelled  by  the  moaning 
and  weeping  of  the  ghostly  reprobates,  who 
thus  manifested  their  sympathy  with  the 
living. 

"  The  voice  of  one  that  spoke  with  au 
thority  bade  the  others  remember  that  the 
Sabbath  was  intended  to  be  a  day  of  de 
light,  not  of  sorrow.  I  took  the  hint,  and 
fondly  dwelt  on  the  heroic  endurance  of 


LEGEND    OF   THE   TEN   LOST   TRIBES       337 

our  illustrious  ancestors  and  their  literary 
achievements  while  in  dispersion.  The 
change  of  subject  afforded  me  the  oppor 
tunity  of  touching-  on  the  deep  purport  of 
our  traditional  lore,  and  on  the  unfathomed 
mysteries  hidden  in  the  Kabbala,  which  had 
proved  impregnable  fortresses  against  our 
foes  from  without.  Each  of  our  renowned 
luminaries  came  in  for  a  share  of  praise. 
Our  enemies  had  failed  in  their  efforts  to 
destroy  the  source  of  our  marvelous  vitality ; 
our  literature  had  invariably  risen  phoenix- 
like  from  the  ashes,  a  monument  of  awe  and 
wonder. 

" '  Yea,  Israel  suffers, but  he  lives !'  was  my 
last  word. 

"  Henceforth  I  was  the  centre  of  attrac 
tion,  drawing  large  numbers  around  me,  who 
treated  me  with  reverential  respect,  and 
waited  on  me  with  patriarchal  hospitality. 
Numerous  were  their  questions,  which  I  en 
deavored  to  answer  to  the  best  of  my  ability. 
In  return  they  acquainted  me  with  the  great 
difficulties  I  should  have  to  overcome  in  my 
attempt  to  penetrate  to  the  central  region 


33  8  IN   THE   PALE 

of  Eden.  The  only  accessible  gate  was 
guarded  by  a  prodigious  fly-wheel  of  dou 
ble-edged  flaming  swords,  shooting  light 
ning,  besides  twelve  raging  cataracts,  which 
the  tempestuous  black  river  Sambation  sends 
adown  in  a  succession  of  tremendous  falls  to 
protect  Eden  proper,  the  seat  of  the  B'nai 
Mosheh,  from  the  intrusion  of  the  inhabi 
tants  outside. 

"  Never  had  any  one  of  the  Ten  Tribes  been 
permitted  to  see  the  luminous  offspring  of 
the  deathless  lawgiver,  the  barriers  being 
impassable.  My  determination  to  encounter 
the  dangerous  elements  and  my  hope  to 
traverse  the  fearful  Sambation,  they  could 
not  comprehend,  and  besought  me  to  desist 
from  attempting  the  hitherto  unattempted, 
until  I  explained  the  omnipotent  virtue  of 
the  Great  Name  burning  in  my  memory, 
no  power  in  the  Universe  being  able  to 
resist  it.  They  had  no  doubt  that  the  In 
effable  Name  was  known  to  those  beyond 
the  Sambation. 

"  Time  leaves  no  trace  on  these  unfading 
children  of  an  eternal  spring.  Like  the  green 


LEGEND   OF  THE   TEN   LOST   TRIBES       339 

and  the  flowers  about  them,  they  continue 
ever  young  and  lovely,  rising  each  morning 
to  begin  a  series  of  pastimes,  bathing  in 
rejuvenating  waters,  worshipping,  loving, 
dancing,  and  crowning  each  other  with  gar 
lands  culled  in  evergreen  meadows  by  the 
hands  of  maidens  lovelier  than  the  god 
dess  of  grace.  Sin,  fear,  greed,  tempta 
tion,  jealousy,  and  retribution  are  things 
they  conceive  of  as  we  do  of  a  disembodied 
state  of  being.  So  utterly  innocent  did  I 
find  them  of  human  ills  that  it  taxed  my  in 
genuity  to  make  the  sorrows  of  mortality 
clear  to  them.  Nor  was  it  easy  for  them  to 
imagine  a  pure  motive  in  a  being  that  causes 
affliction  or  pain  to  another,  unless  it  be  an 
inspiration  from  the  powers  of  evil. 

"  Beautiful  as  I  had  found  the  Tribes 
at  my  arrival,  the  Sabbath  atmosphere  threw 
a  halo  of  additional  lustre  around  each  head, 
transforming  the  male  beings  into  demi 
gods,  the  female  beings  into  enchanting 
cherubim.  And  when,  obeying  the  signal  of 
a  leader,  they  uttered  adoration  in  choral 
song,  my  tears  flowed  profusely,  for  my 


340  IN   THE   PALE 

heart  yearned  to  bide  forever  with  the  Elect. 
The  song  was  one  of  the  Davidic  odes  once 
sung  in  the  Sanctuary  of  Zion.  O,  for  the 
time  when  God  dwelt  visible  among  His 
people,  and  earth  and  heaven  were  linked  by 
the  golden  chain  of  heartfelt  prayer  ! 

"  The  transcendent  holy  day  was  depart 
ing,  leaving  only  a  trail  of  radiance  in  the 
crimsoned  West,  when  the  loveliness  of 
nature  began  to  be  obscured  by  an  atmos 
pheric  disturbance  similar  to  that  which 
had  preceded  the  Sabbath.  In  other  quar 
ters  it  would  have  scared  animate  creation 
into  hiding-places  to  escape  the  fury  of 
the  elements.  Here,  however,  not  the  least 
perturbance  of  spirit  was  betrayed,  although 
the  uproarious  storm  broke  out  with  a  vehe 
mence  threatening  to  uproot  every  tree. 
I  was  told  to  watch  things  undisturbed, 
and  was  assured  that  the  outburst  implied 
no  danger  whatever  for  beings  beyond  the 
reach  of  Sheol.  The  tempest,  like  the 
first,  was  of  short  duration.  Doleful  wail 
ing  mingled  with  the  howling  winds  ;  the 
darkness  grew  dense,  and  the  noises  were 


LEGEND   OF  THE   TEN    LOST   TRIBES       341 

hideous.  Thunder  and  lightning  rent 
the  firmament,  and  shook  the  rockbed  of 
Eden.  Amidst  the  confusion  and  the 
lamentations  was  heard  the  heart-chilling 
call:  'Return,  ye  wicked,  to  Sheol !' 
This  cry  was  the  signal  for  a  terrific  con 
vulsion  of  the  earth  and  air.  The  call  was 
repeated  with  intensified  emphasis.  My 
heart  stood  still.  The  mysterious  voice 
rang  like  the  trump  of  doom.  l  Return, 
ye  wicked,  to  Sheol !' 

"  Like  the  far-off  flapping  of  the  wings 
of  myriad  pelagic  birds  passing  over  the 
sailor's  head  in  the  dead  of  night,  was  the 
sound  of  the  ghosts  moving  off  with  hollow 
moaning  toward  the  black  Sambation,  in 
obedience  to  the  third  call.  Long  the  pite 
ous  notes  vibrated  in  my  ears.  Darkness 
departed,  and  the  firmament  revealed  the 
magic  evening  star.  Thus  was  the  reward 
of  virtue  contrasted  with  the  punishment 
of  wickedness. 

"Those  who  answered  my  questions  pro 
fessed  to  know  nothing  of  the  mysteries  of 
the  nether  world,  except  that  eternal  justice 


342  IN    THE    TALE 

accords  every  being  its  due  meed  or  its  due 
punishment.  Had  not  Moses  warned  the 
students  of  the  Tor  ah  not  to  search  into 
things  destined  to  remain  unrevealed  ? 

"  A  moon  bright  as  a  transparent  crown 
jewel  rilled  the  weird  landscape  with  magic 
lustre  and  my  heart  with  indefinable  long 
ing.  Was  it  the  nightingale  ?  Only  a  bird 
of  Eden  could  pour  forth  melody  so  sweet, 
cadence  so  thrilling,  so  heart-healing.  Yet 
sweeter  and  holier  than  the  song  of  the 
winged  worshipper  was  the  choral  hymn 
sung  in  the  peace  of  a  blessed  eve  by  heaven- 
inspired  souls  in  yearning  love  for  the 
One  whom  the  heaven  of  heavens  cannot 
contain." 


THE  LEGEND  OF  THE   B'NAI 
MOSHEH 

**  ^T^HAT  night  little  time  was  given  to 
sleep.  The  wailings  of  the  repro 
bate  ghosts  had  left  an  echo  in  the  chambers 
of  my  memory,  and  a  cheerless  picture  of 
the  Sambation  hovered  before  my  thought. 
Gray  dawn  found  me  on  my  feet,  and  on 
issuing  from  the  bower  assigned  me,  I  was 
greeted  by  a  group  of  singing  virgins  garbed 
in  multicolored  robes,  woven  of  imperish 
able  flowers,  and  they  placed  on  my  head  a 
wreath  of  unfading  roses  prepared  in  my 
honor.  Then  each  of  the  cherubic  maidens 
kissed  my  forehead,  withdrawing  with 
modesty  to  admit  a  delegation  come  to  con 
sult  with  me  about  the  best  means  to  afford 
help  to  the  dispersed  sons  of  Judah,  in 
whose  behalf  I  had  spoken  to  them. 

"After  earnest  deliberation  the  conclusion 
was  reached  that,  as  in  olden  times  Moses 
had  been  the  lawgiver,  leader,  and  emanci- 
(343) 


344  IN  THE  PALE 

pator  of  the  chosen  people,  so  his  lineal 
descendants  were  his  legitimate  heirs  in 
the  great  work,  the  Tribes  being  ready  to 
follow  whithersoever  they  might  lead.  It 
was,  therefore,  suggested  that,  as  it  was 
in  my  power  to  traverse  the  Sambation  by 
virtue  of  the  Great  Name,  I  should  hasten 
to  familiarize  the  B'nai  Mosheh  with  the 
sorrowful  situation  of  their  brethren  in 
exile,  appeal  to  them  for  help,  and  assure 
them  of  the  alacrity  of  the  Tribes  to  be 
led  against  the  foes  of  God  and  humanity. 
"A  better  result  I  had  not  anticipated. 
Perfectly  pleased  with  the  proposition,  I  de 
clared  my  readiness  to  enter  upon  my 
journey  to  the  Sambation,  determined, 
as  I  was,  to  penetrate  into  Inner  Eden. 
Prayers  were  offered  for  my  safety,  and  a 
solemn  service  was  held  in  celebration 
of  •  the  memorable  event.  An  escort  of 
honor  was  appointed  to  accompany  me  as 
far  as  the  forbidding  zone  allowed  them  to 
advance,  and  blessings  were  wafted  after 
me,  as,  inspired  by  the  Great  Name  that 
glowed  in  my  memory,  I  turned  my  back 


THE   LEGEND   OF   THE   B'NAI   MOSHEH      345 

on  the  Titanic  descendants  of  the  Ten 
Tribes. 

"  As  on  high  mountains  vegetation  ceases 
at  a  certain  height,  at  a  line  marked  by  the 
intrusion  of  sterile  scenery,  gray  boulders, 
and  a  chaos  of  wild  rocks  rising  in  pro 
miscuous  disorder;  so  on  approaching  the 
hitherto  untraversed  zone,  I  beheld  the 
rocky  skeleton  of  the  earth  protruding  in 
enormous  piles,  black  as  pitch,  leaving 
yawning  chasms  between  torn  cliffs,  which 
emitted  mephitic  odors  and  death  fumes, 
such  as  our  patriarch  must  have  inhaled 
on  the  shores  of  the  pestiferous  lake  that 
covered  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. 

"  Here  my  escort  thought  it  proper  to  re 
turn,  and  I  found  myself  alone  in  a  dis 
mal  labyrinth,  not  a  breeze  to  disturb  the 
deadly  atmosphere,  not  a  sound  to  break 
the  awful  silence.  Wrapped  in  my  mantle, 
the  Great  Name  graven  in  my  mind,  I  pro 
ceeded. 

"  My  progress  was  greatly  impeded  by  the 
chaotic  ruggedness  of  the  region,  towering 
rocks,  precipices  steep  as  walls,  and  bottom- 


346  IN   THE   PALE 

less  pits  intercepting  my  course.  With 
every  step  I  paced  through  thicker  gloom, 
dense  fogs  veiling  in  hazy  twilight  the  deso 
late  stretches  before  me  and  to  my  right 
and  left,  the  whole  impressing  the  mind 
with  the  dread  of  an  active  volcano  in 
momentary  suspense.  With  daring  bound 
I  cleared  many  a  chasm,  pushing  onward  in 
air  saturated  with  noxious  gases.  Presently 
the  stillness  was  broken  by  distant  rumb 
ling  as  of  an  approaching  storm.  I  knew  it 
to  be  the  roar  of  the  Sambation's  terrific 
waterfalls,  barring  the  entrance  to  Inner 
Eden.  The  Great  Name  glowing  in  my 
soul,  I  advanced  fearlessly,  feeling  that 
nothing  could  betide  me  so  long  as  my  faith 
was  unshaken. 

"The  thunders  of  the  vast  cataracts  con 
vulsed  the  air  far  and  wide,  as  if  the  bolts 
of  heaven  were  casting  their  wrath  on 
the  unblessed  river.  Led  by  the  deafen 
ing  noise,  I  groped  my  way  through  dark 
ness,  undismayed  by  the  terrific  peals  which 
seemed  to  rend  the  earth. 

"  At  last  I  stood  before  an  appalling  abyss, 


THE   LEGEND   OF   THE   B'NAI   MOSIIEH      347 

reaching1  to  the  very  core  of  the  globe,  a 
seething  whirlpool  in  frantic  agitation,  roar 
ing  and  swallowing  itself  in  madness.  From 
an  unfathomed  deep,  like  lava  bursting  from 
a  furious  crater,  a  tremendous  volume  rose, 
fuming,  and  boiling,  and  wheezing,  and 
cracking,  and  leaping,  and  bursting  madly 
over  a  maze  of  sulphurous  precipices,  which 
broke  its  furious  career,  and  sent  the  grim 
flood  into  black  hollows  to  be  lost  in  rayless 
gulfs.  Such  is  one  of  the  gates  of  She'ol 
through  which  the  doomed  reprobates  are 
permitted  to  ascend  at  the  approach  of  each 
Sabbath,  relieved  from  doing  penance  dur 
ing  the  divinely  consecrated  day. 

"  In  this  fearful  desolation  I  wandered 
about  for  many  hours,  straining  my  eyes  to 
discern  what  was  beyond  the  cataracts  and 
watching  my  chance  to  cross  the  tempests 
ous  river.  The  flare  of  a  piercing  light 
dazzled  my  sight,  when  I  sent  a  penetrat 
ing  look  athwart  the  grim  tide.  What  mon 
ster  sweeping  through  space  yonder  over 
powered  my  imagination,  and  almost  caused 
my  heart  to  stand  still?  On  a  huge  axis 


348  IN    THE   TALE 

of  glowing-  steel  I  perceived  a  prodigious 
wheel  of  flaming  swords,  each  blade  as  vast 
and  lurid  as  a  comet,  revolve  with  the  veloc 
ity  of  lightning,  darting  forth  streams  of 
dazzling  sparks,  out-thundering  the  thun 
ders  of  the  Sambation,  and  covering  a  vast 
circle  cut  through  a  massive  rock  as  black 
as  dense  night.  One  might  as  well  think 
of  leaping  over  the  moon  as  of  passing 
through  that  whirling  blaze  of  steel  and 
fire.  Here  was  the  wonder  of  creation. 

"  Could  it  be  here  that  Alexander  Magnus 
had  knocked  for  admission,  and  that,  ac 
cording  to  the  Talmudic  legend,  an  eye 
typifying  his  insatiate  greed  had  been 
thrown  out  unto  him  ?  The  great  conqueror 
was  told  that  'only  the  righteous  enter 
here.'  Alexander  asked  the  Synhedrion  to 
explain  to  him  what  the  eye  signified.  He 
was  told  to  weigh  it  by  putting  all  the  treas 
ures  at  his  disposal  in  the  other  scale. 
The  eye  could  not  be  outbalanced  until  a 
handful  of  dust  was  thrown  thereon.  Then 
the  pan  in  which  it  lay  rose,  indicating  that 
man's  greed  ends  with  his  life.  How  could 


THE   LEGEND   OF   THE   B  NAI   MOSIIEH      349 

the  royal  heathen  have  found  his  way 
hither  ?  Impossible.  The  tale  was  an 
allegory.  He  had  never  come  near  the 
awful  gate  beyond  which  the  chosen  of  the 
chosen  dwell.  But  might  it  not  have  hap 
pened  on  a  Sabbath,  when  the  Sambation 
relaxes  its  terrors? 

"Thus  pondering  on  matters  past  and 
present,  I  strode  along  the  bank  of  the  mad 
river  in  the  hope  of  discovering  a  fordable 
point.  Every  turn  of  the  tide  showed  new 
dangers,  the  waters  being  in  fierce  revolt, 
as  it  were,  against  any  creature  that  at 
tempted  a  passage,  unless  by  divine  inter 
position.  But  was  not  I  favored,  being  per 
mitted  to  stand  where  I  stood  ?  How  could 
I  doubt  the  all-controlling  power  of  the  In 
effable  Name  ? 

"  At  last  my  attention  was  attracted  by 
a  dark  interspace,  stretching  for  many  a 
league  between  two  cataracts,  the  one  above 
precipitating  its  boiling  volume  over  a  steep 
barrier  of  raven  black  below,  solid  as  ada 
mant,  and  broken  into  a  thousand  irregular 
cones,  sharp  crests,  and  flooded  ravines. 


350  IN   THE   PALE 

The  eye  tried  in  vain  to  penetrate  the  seeth 
ing  torrents,  and  the  little  to  be  discerned 
deterred  the  soul  from  spying  into  mysteries 
not  intended  for  the  contemplation  of  the 
righteous,  but  reserved  for  the  wicked  in 
Gehinnom. 

"  The  flood  teemed  with  grizzly  creatures 
unknown  among  our  poisonous  reptiles, 
green-eyed,  red-spotted,  horned,  unsightly, 
and  armed  with  the  weapons  of  the  most 
destructive  monsters.  Their  terrible  nature 
was  betrayed  by  voracity  that  impelled 
them  to  devour  each  other,  and  their 
dimensions  and  repugnant  outlines  were 
rendered  visible  by  a  species  of  Crustacea 
whose  eyes  glared  like  burning  coal.  No 
sooner  did  they  catch  sight  of  me  than,  for 
getting  their  voracious  greed  for  one  another, 
they  made  a  dash  toward  the  bank,  some 
leaping  out  of  their  element.  I  thought 
of  the  Great  Name,  and  they  slunk  away 
before  the  beam  of  my  gaze. 

"  At  this  moment  an  irresistible  impulse 
emboldened  me  to  traverse  the  river.  My 
eyes  turned  prayerfully  to  heaven,  I  de 


THE   LEGEND    OF   THE   B'NAI    MOSHEII      351 

scended  to  the  brink  of  the  rolling'  tide, 
spread  my  mantle  on  the  water,  and,  clos 
ing  my  eyes  and  fixing  my  thought  on  the 
Great  Name  burning  in  my  soul,  stepped 
on  the  outspread  garment.  A  soothing 
influence  seemed  to  control  the  boisterous 
flood. 

"  How  long  I  drifted  on  the  water  I  cannot 
tell.  When  I  opened  my  eyes,  I  found  my 
self  on  the  other  side,  and,  marvelous  to  say, 
the  wheel  of  steel  and  fire,  blazing  like  a 
sun,  was  thundering  behind  me. 

"  My  soul  fed  on  the  happy  consciousness 
of  being  where  no  common  mortal  had  ever 
been  before.  Afar  off  I  discerned  another 
range  of  mountains  covered  with  vege 
tation,  and  my  heart  throbbed  with  joy  at 
the  prospect  of  passing  the  boundary  of 
Inner  Eden  and  communing  face  to  face 
with  the  B'nai  Mosheh.  Like  a  deer,  I 
bounded  forward,  and  halted  not  until  I 
stood  at  the  foot  of  .the  noblest  system 
of  mountains  under  the  heavens. 

"  A  high  acclivity  had  to  be  ascended, 
the  first  of  an  endless  chain  of  peaks  lost  in 


352  IN   THE   PALE 

ethereal  blue,  thickly  crowned  with  majestic 
forests,  and  robed  in  soft  verdure  down  to 
the  brink  of  a  murmuring  stream,  which 
formed  the  dividing  line  between  the  dis 
mal  domain  of  the  Sambation  and  the 
blessed  seat  of  the  divine  Elect.  A  bound 
landed  me  on  the  other  side  of  the  trans 
parent  stream.  Lighter  of  heart  than  a 
youth  who  leaps  over  a  fence  to  embrace  his 
dearest  one,  I  skipped  from  height  to  height, 
until  the  highest  peak  was  reached,  and 
lo !  what  a  panorama  yonder  of  Eden's 
superb  glories ! 

"  As  I  descended  into  the  paradisiacal  val 
ley,  a  delicious  perfume  apprised  me  that 
the  zephyrs  wafted  along  the  heights  the  in 
visible  germs  of  immortal  life.  Whitherso 
ever  the  eye  turned,  it  feasted  on  sights  of  de 
light,  scenes  of  wonder,  sylvan,  multiflorous 
clusters,  groves  glowing  with  golden  fruits, 
flowery  shrubs  bathed  in  the  resplendence 
of  the  mellowest  sunbeams,  shedding  rain 
bow  tints  on  a  blaze  of  melliferous  blossoms. 
Here  and  there,  amidst  exuberant  verdure, 
towered  in  lonely  majesty  lofty  bowers, 


THE   LEGEND   OE   THE   B  NAI   MOSIIEII       353 

cone-shaped,  built  by  Nature's  lavish  bounty 
of  intertwining  leafage,  shrubs,  and  climb 
ing  ivy,  bearing  flower  and  fruit,  and  walled 
in  by  Hesperian  groves,  in  meadow,  dale, 
and  plain,  often  on  banks  of  devious  brooks 
or  rills,  hurrying  on  in  berylline  waves  over 
golden  sands  and  murmuring  and  tumbling 
in  dreamy  cascades. 

"  Back  of  the  glorious  landscape  rose  in 
dazzling  radiance  what  looked  like  an  impe 
rial  castle.  Are  there  princes  in  Paradise  ? 
If  so,  what  a  throne  must  he  occupy,  whose 
palace  glitters  as  though  built  of  the  Orient's 
invaluable  jewels! 

"  While  the  eye  was  lost  in  the  contempla 
tion  of  the  grand  and  the  beautiful,  the  ear 
was  charmed  by  a  mellifluous  symphony, 
which  came  floating  on  the  soft  breeze, 
strains  undreamt  of  in  the  grosser  climes  we 
inhabit.  I  directed  my  steps  toward  the 
spot  whence  the  harmony  spread  like  a 
sweet  dream.  Onward  I  sped  with  the 
swiftness  of  a  racer  through  shady  alleys  of 
cypress,  palm,  and  myrtle,  and  over  green 
as  soft  as  velvet,  exquisitely  relieved  by  an 
23 


354  IN  THE  PALE 

inexhaustible  variety  of  floral  adornments, 
roses  of  all  hues,  the  hyacinth,  the  jasmine, 
the  carnation,  and  the  tulip,  interchanging 
with  the  lily,  the  saffron,  and  scores  of  species 
no  scientist  has  ever  met  in  the  tropics. 

"  In  accord  with  the  harmony  of  colors 
and  the  softness  of  the  zephyr  was  the 
melody,  a  wave  of  cherubic  song,  entranc 
ing  the  senses  like  a  magic  spell.  As  if  in 
sympathy  with  the  chorus  of  ineffable  sweet 
ness,  a  hundred  shining  birds  swelled  the 
divine  concert  with  their  thrilling  notes. 

"  Drawn  by  the  might  of  the  choral  song, 
I  broke  through  thick  leafage,  and  stood  en 
chanted  before  a  group  of  colossal  figures, 
robed  in  garments  of  undying  flowers,  which 
reflected  the  tints  of  the  rainbow.  Their 
countenances  beamed  like  that  of  their 
deathless  progenitor,  when,  the  decalogue 
in  hand,  he  descended  from  Horeb,  having 
communed  forty  days  and  nights  with  the 
Lord  and  His  angels.  In  a  transport  of 
ecstasy  they  sang :  '  The  heavens  proclaim 
the  glory  of  the  Lord,  and  the  firmament 
telleth  of  the  work  of  His  hands/ 


THE   LEGEND   OF   THE   B'NAI    MOSHEH      355 

"At  first  undiscovered,  I  stood  overawed 
by  the  majesty  of  the  scene.  Before  I  re 
alized  the  fact,  I  was  one  of  the  celestial 
chorus,  unconsciously  swelling  the  volume 
of  song.  I  had  succumbed  to  the  resistless 
power  of  the  hymn,  so  unlike  anything  I  had 
ever  heard.  Yet,  although  my  voice  mixed 
with  those-  of  the  radiant  group,  they  con 
tinued  undisturbed,  apparently  absorbed  in 
the  ardor  of  devotion. 

"  Angels  could  neither  look  more  lovely 
nor  sing  holy  hymns  more  sweetly  than 
those  bright  habitants  of  Inner  Eden,  glori 
fying  the  Creator,  free  from  all  passion, 
tribulation,  sorrow,  anxiety,  and  fear  of 
death.  Here  was  a  family  of  the  descend 
ants  of  Moses,  seven  blissful  beings,  housed 
in  an  arbor  wreathed  in  unwithering  blos 
soms,  near  a  fountain  as  pure  and  blue  as 
the  sky  above. 

"  Generations  before  the  Tribes  entered 
upon  their  miraculous  adventure,  the  sires 
of  these  late  B'nai  Mosheh,  inspired  by  a 
vision,  had  sought  an  asylum  from  oppres 
sion.  In  the  vision  the  sepulchre  of  Moses 


356  IN   THE   PALE 

was  revealed  to  them,  and  they  were  enjoined 
to  remove  the  remains  of  the  world's  law 
giver  to  the  land  whither  his  spirit  should 
lead  them.  Without  comprehending  the 
mystery  of  the  revelation,  holy  men  searched 
the  caverns  of  Mount  Pisgah,  and  the  sepul 
chre  of  the  Lord's  confidant  was  unearthed, 
a  beam  of  light  betraying  the  spot  where  the 
precious  treasure  lay  hidden.  After  thirty 
days  spent  in  fasting  and  prayer,  they  opened 
the  sepulchre,  and  the  mortal  form  of  the 
Toratis  immortal  author  was  found  in  peace 
ful  repose  and  perfect  preservation.  The 
body  was  watched  with  great  attention,  the 
holy  men  hoping  to  discern  a  sign  as  to 
what  they  were  meant  to  do. 

"  One  morning  it  was  found  that  the  right 
arm  of  the  dead  was  displaced,  and  its  index 
finger  was  pointing  southward.  It  was  con 
cluded  that  the  greatest  prophet  wanted  his 
descendants  to  proceed  in  the  direction  indi 
cated,  and  preparations  were  made  for  their 
departure  toward  the  great  sea  of  the  South. 
Numberless  vessels  and  rafts  covered  the 
placid  waters  of  the  ocean  to  carry  the  faith- 


THE   LEGEND    OE   THE    li'NAI   MOSHEII      357 

ful  to  a  place  of  salvation.  Thither  thou 
sands  on  thousands  moved  in  endless  cara 
vans,  and  thither  in  the  darkness  of  night 
and  with  deep  secrecy  the  body  of  Moses 
was  reverently  conveyed. 

"  The  hour  of  embarkation  was  preceded 
by  prayer  and  weeping.  The  moment  the 
sacred  load  was  placed  in  the  boat  assigned 
it,  the  vessel,  as  if  animated  by  a  wise  spirit, 
took  to  the  sea.  A  column  of  fire  broke 
from  the  deep  empyrean,  and  from  it  shot 
forth  an  arm  of  light,  pointing  the  course 
it  was  to  pursue.  Joy  filled  the  hearts 
of  the  faithful,  whose  crafts  followed  the 
leading  vessel.  The  heavenly  manifesta 
tion  was  accompanied  by  halcyon  days,  sea 
and  air  combining  to  change  a  perilous 
adventure  into  a  delightful  voyage. 

"  The  landing  on  the  shores  of  the  blessed 
Isle  was  as  joyous  and  as  wonderful  an  event 
as  the  passage  through  the  Red  Sea,  immor 
talized  by  the  songs  of  Moses  and  Miriam. 
Glad  as  they  would  have  been  to  settle  in 
the  outskirts  of  Eden,  neither  the  glowing 
column  nor  the  flaming  arm  departed,  until, 


358  IN   THE   TALE 

lured  by  them,  the  faithful  wanderers  trav 
ersed  the  Sambation,  the  furious  river  quiet 
ing  down  and  congealing1  at  their  approach. 

"  Their  experiences  thereafter  were  simi 
lar  to  those  of  the  Tribes.  The  pioneers 
succumbed  to  the  mortality  within  them. 
The  new-born  generation  were  rendered  im 
mortal  by  the  clime  of  their  birth.  Such  is 
the  tradition  current  among  them. 

"At  the  close  of  the  sacred  hymn  one 
of  the  group  turned  his  brilliant  eyes  on  my 
diminutive  self,  and  his  discovery  was  sig 
nalized  by  an  exclamation  of  surprise,  such 
as  a  boy  utters  at  sight  of  a  curious  object. 
Presently  the  others  had  their  looks  focussed 
on  me.  Without  betraying  the  least  hesi 
tation,  one  of  the  male  giants  raised  me 
a  hundred  feet  above  the  ground,  and, 
setting  me  down  on  his  broad  palm,  ad 
dressed  me  in  melodious  Hebrew: 

"'If  thou,  strange  creature,  hast  power 
of  speech,  tell  us  who  thou  art,  and  whether 
we  may  do  aught  for  thee,  favored  to  be 
among  us,  the  descendants  of  Moses.' 

"  In  answer,  I  gave  an  account  of  myself, 


THE   LEGEND   OF   THE  B  NAI   MOSHEH       359 

and  stated  my  mission,  asking  to  be  pre 
sented  to  the  leader  or  the  prince  of  Eden. 
They  had  no  leader,  I  was  informed,  one  in 
habitant  being  equal  to  the  other,  but  they 
often  met  and  appointed  one  to  lead  them 
in  prayer,  the  one  thus  honored  being  high 
priest  for  the  time. 

"Israel's  tragic  tale,  as  I  told  it, impressed 
them  as  it  had  the  descendants  of  the 
Tribes  on  the  other  side  of  the  Sambation. 
But  sorrow  was  not  permitted  to  bide  long 
in  their  realm  of  bliss.  In  one  of  their 
bowers  I  was  served  with  whatever  Eden 
provides  for  its  denizens,  and  hospitably  en 
tertained.  The  news  of  my  coming  was 
spread  by  two  of  the  blessed  family,  so  that 
the  next  morning  a  host  of  the  Elect  gath 
ered  around  the  habitation  which  harbored 
me,  a  glorious  galaxy  of  superhuman  be 
ings,  supernal  beauty  radiating  from  every 
countenance. 

"  My  appearance  attracted  every  eye. 
Again,  in  order  to  be  conveniently  heard,  I 
was  raised  to  a  great  height.  Once  more 
the  sight  of  the  dazzling  castle  caught  and 


360  IN   THE    PALE 

chained  my  attention.  To  my  inquiry  about 
the  stupendous  structure  shining  like  the 
sun,  they  replied  that  it  was  a  perfect,  vastly 
magnified,  and  superbly  beautified  repro 
duction  of  Solomon's  Temple  destroyed  by 
Nebuchadnezzar  and  rebuilt  by  an  angel's 
hand. 

"  In  its  court,  between  the  altar  and  the 
laver,  the  trees  of  knowledge  and  eternal 
life  spread  their  branches  to  unmeasured 
height.  The  fruit  on  the  tree  of  knowledge 
shows  resemblance  to  a  child's  perfect  head, 
hiding  within  the  mystery  of  the  human 
brain;  that  of  eternal  life  bears  the  shape 
of  the  human  heart,  symbolizing  the  good 
and  the  pure  harbored  in  the  centre  of 
man's  being.  On  both  trees  the  leaves 
shine  like  enameled  gold,  each  leaf  being 
large  enough  to  screen  a  thousand  people 
from  the  heat  of  the  sun,  and  displaying  in 
letters  of  ever-changing  light  the  purport  of 
the  Ten  Commandments. 

"  Midway  between  the  two  trees  is  a 
domed  edifice  of  burnished  gold,  its  walls 
incrusted  with  the  most  precious  stones 


THE   LEGEND   OF   THE   B'NAI   MOSHEH      361 

set  in  the  shape  of  Hebrew  letters,  which 
spell  out  the  contents  of  the  Tor  ah.  Here, 
the  two  tables  of  the  covenant  in  his  hand, 
his  staff  bearing  the  Great  Name  at  his 
side,  Moses  rests  on  a  bed  that  shines  like 
the  most  brilliant  star  in  the  Zodiac.  His 
lips  move  with  delight  whenever  his  teach 
ings  are  uttered  anywhere,  that  is,  they 
move  forever.  Over  his  head,  in  radiant 
letters,  the  words  blaze :  '  The  Eternal,  the 
Eternal,  a  God  of  Mercy.' 

"  Thither  I  was  led,  and  was  shown  many 
things  that  I  am  unable  to  describe.  When 
we  issued  from  the  inner  recesses  of  the 
Sanctuary,  I  felt  relieved  of  the  intense 
awe  that  had  possessed  me  within.  We 
emerged  upon  the  outer  courts,  where, 
at  the  signal  of  one  appointed  to  lead  in 
worship,  a  hymn  was  given  out  for  all  to 
join  in.  Uplifted  as  the  descendants  of 
Moses  are  at  all  times,  they  are  enravished 
whenever  the  divine  career  of  their  progeni 
tor  is  dwelt  upon  by  one  of  the  inspired 
brotherhood.  Glad  was  I  to  find  myself 
again  beyond  the  precincts  of  the  Temple, 


362  IN   THE   PALE 

its  holy  magnificence,  as  well  as  the  awful 
reverence  of  my  guides,  having  thrilled  me 
to  the  very  core  of  my  being. 

"  The  time  had  come  for  me  to  recite  the 
epic  of  our  unparalleled  martyrdom,  and  I 
awakened  to  the  full  consciousness  of  my 
self-imposed  mission.  My  only  anxiety  was 
to  rise  to  the  great  occasion.  .  Whether 
the  subject  or  the  blessed  atmosphere  in 
spired  me,  I  am  unable  to  tell.  However, 
I  felt  that  my  eloquence  carried  the  con 
tagion  of  intense  emotion  to  my  hearers. 
There  was  no  audible  expression  of  feeling, 
but  when  the  last  word  fell  from  my  lips, 
sympathetic  eyes  turned  skyward,  and  tears 
rolled  down  cheeks  never  before  moistened 
by  the  liquid  pearls  of  earthly  woe. 

"  The  response  from  on  high  was  instan 
taneous.  The  sun  faded,  leaving  an  after 
glow  on  a  dense  mass  of  gold-edged  clouds. 
The  momentary  twilight  was  immediately 
dispersed  by  a  billow  of  white  flame,  which 
broke  from  the  cerulean  background,  and 
was  greeted  with  the  joyous  exclamation: 
'Elijah,  Elijah,  Elijah!' 


THE   LEGEND   OF  THE   B*NAI   MOSIIEH       363 

"  To  save  my  sight  from  the  blinding  effect 
of  the  effulgence,  I  sought  shelter  behind  a 
pile  of  impenetrable  green,  pulled  my  mantle 
over  my  face,  and  recalled  the  star-spelt 
Name  as  revealed  to  me  after  my  probatory 
season.  The  others  likewise  fell  prostrate 
on  their  faces,  lest  they  be  consumed  by 
the  seraphic  power. 

"'Hear  me,  ye  blessed  scions  of  Moses! 
Hidden  in  mystery  is  His  design,  destined 
to  be  revealed  in  the  course  of  countless 
cycles.  His  plans  are  immutable,  and  His 
means  are  as  just  as  His  wisdom  is  inscrut 
able.  Therefore,  pray  not  for  the  repeal  of 
His  decrees.  Human  suffering  is  not  the 
infliction  of  Divine  wrath.  Sorrow  is  sent 
on  earth  to  spiritualize  the  soul  engrossed 
with  perishable  things.  Let  Israel  rejoice 
at  being  God's  chosen  bearer  of  Sinai's  Mes 
sage  in  the  nether  world.  He  who  reaches 
out  for  the  triple  crown  of  the  Law,  the 
priesthood,  and  spiritual  sovereignty  must 
suffer,  that  his  mettle  may  be  tried.  His  is 
the  triumph  who  sacrifices  ease  of  body  to 
the  concerns  of  the  soul.  The  angels  weep, 


364  IN   THE   PALE 

and  the  demons  laugh,  when  they  who  deify 
a  Jew  despise  the  kindred  of  their  Re 
deemer.  But  man  errs,  and  err  he  will, 
until  the  light  of  Sinai  and  Carmel  is  the 
light  of  the  world.  Till  then  it  is  glory 
enough  to  be  the  martyr  of  the  world/ 

"  'The  martyr  of  the  world  !'  echoed  myr 
iad  voices  in  Eden,  as  Elijah  closed  his  ex 
hortation.  To  my  ear  it  sounded  like  the 
distant  roar  of  a  host  vibrating  through 
space. 

"  On  recovering  from  my  fright,  I  removed 
the  mantle  from  my  head  to  find  that  I  was 
sweeping  through  ethereal  heights  in  the 
chariot  of  the  supernal  messenger.  A  sol 
emn  voice  warned  me  to  utter  no  sound, 
whatever  the  vision  vouchsafed  unto  me. 
Scarcely  had  the  warning  been  given,  when 
the  East  appeared  to  divide,  revealing  an 
arch  a  thousand  times  the  size  and  splendor 
of  the  rainbow.  Through  its  periphery 
flowed  a  stream  of  such  light  as  totally 
eclipsed  the  stars,  laying  bare  the  awful 
deeps  and  wonders  of  immensity.  From  the 
immeasurable  abysses  of  space,  preceded  by 


THE   LEGEND   OF  THE   B'NAI   MOSIIEII       365 

a  heavenly  symphony,  which  evoked  re 
sponse  from  all  the  constellations,  glided 
forth  the  Ineffable  Glory,  filling  the  un 
bounded  universe  with  divine  beauty. 

"  I  beheld  what  human  speech  cannot 
utter.  Ether  teemed  with  infinite  hosts  of 
angels  of  high  and  low  estate.  Above  these 
a  myriad  squadrons  of  seraphim  enwheeled 
the  highest  and  holiest  chariot,  surmounted 
by  the  eternal  throne.  The  countless  bil 
lions  of  humanity  buried  since  the  begin 
ning  of  things  rose  transfigured  from  the 
dust,  a  blessed  host  of  airy  forms  covering 
the  world  from  end  to  end  and  taking  station 
on  river,  lake,  and  sea,  as  if  waters  were  as 
substantial  as  earth.  Responding  to  the 
empyrean  concert,  they  sang,  and  they  shone 
in  the  reflex  of  unutterable  majesty.  In 
finity  seemed  an  endless  ocean  of  light 
and  bliss.  Numberless  as  are  the  stars 
visible  to  the  eye,  they  are  but  few  com 
pared  with  the  mazes  of  teeming  constella 
tions  I  was  deigned  worthy  to  see,  rising 
host  on  host,  to  immeasurable  heights  and 
in  unfathomed  deeps,  with  the  Merchabah  as 


366  IN   THE   PALE 

the  all-controlling1  centre.  A  something 
within  me  caused  me  to  feel  that  I,  too,  was 
as  light  as  air,  and  an  irrepressible  impulse 
prompted  me  to  join  the  supernal  choirs. 
My  soul  told  me  that  I  was  akin  to  heavenly 
light  and  fire,  and  the  sense  of  this  kinship 
was  intense  felicity.  Why  not  throw  my 
self  among  my  kindred  spirits,  and  sweep 
along  forever  among  the  blessed  galaxies  ? 
No  sooner  did  this  thought  possess  me  than, 
with  a  superhuman  effort,  I  darted  out  of 
the  celestial  chariot,  and  dropped,  like  an 
aerolite,  out  of  my  transcendental  reverie. 
Before  me  stood  the  Kabbalist. 

"  'Go  home,  son,  now  that,  by  virtue  of  the 
over-soul  which  my  prayer  called  down  for 
thee,  thou  hast  seen  what  thy  soul  was  long 
ing  for.  What  man  works,  yearns,  and 
prays  for,  God  grants  him  in  time.  Neither 
Eden  nor  Abaddon  are  dreams.  The  soul  is 
open  to  them  here ;  they  are  open  for  the 
soul  hereafter.  Ask  no  questions.  Fare 
well.' 

"  Turning  round,  he  passed  away  like  a 
shadow  in  the  twilight,  for  the  last  trace  of 


THE   LEGEND   OF   THE   B'NAI    MOSHEH      367 

the  sun's  afterglow  had  faded.  I  dashed 
my  hand  across  mine  eyes  to  convince  my 
self  that  I  was  not  asleep,  but  even  now  I 
am  still  in  doubt  whether  it  was  a  vision 
or  an  actual  revelation." 


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OUTLINES  OF  JEWISH  HISTORY, 

From  the  Return  from  Babylon  to  the  Present  Time, 
1890, 

With  Three  Maps,  a  Frontispiece  and  Chronological  Tables 

BY  LADY  MAGNUS. 

REVISED  BY  M.  FKIEDLANDER,  PH.  D. 

OPINIONS    OF   THE    PRESS. 

The  entire  work  is  one  of  great  interest ;  it  is  written  with  moderatiori, 
and  yet  with  a  fine  enthusiasm  for  the  great  i'ace  which  is  set  before  thj 
reader's  mind  — Atlantic  Moiitlily. 

We  doubt  whether  there  is  in  the  English  language  a  better  sketch  of 
Jewish  history.  Tne  Jewish  Publication  Society  is  to  be  congrauilated 
on  the  succe'ssful  opening  of  its  career.  Such  a  movement,  so  auspi 
ciously  begun,  deserves  the  hearty  support  of  the  public.— Nation  (New 
York).' 

Of  universal  historical  interest— Philadelphia  Ledger. 

Compresses  much  in  simple  language. — Baltimore  Sun. 

Though  full  of  sympathy  for  her  own  people,  it  is  not  without  a  sin 
gular  value  for  readers  whose  religious  belief  differs  from  that  of  the 
author. — New  York  Time*. 

One  of  the  clearest  and  most  compact  works  of  its  class  produced  in 
modern  times.— New  York  Kan. 

The  Jewish  Publication  Society  of  America  has  not  only  conferred  A 
favor  upon  all  young  Hebrews,  but  also  upon  nil  ({(.-miles  who  desire  to 
see  the  Jew  as  he  appears  to  himself. — notion  lit  raid. 

We  know  of  no  single-volume  history  which  gives  a  better  idea  of  the 
remarkable  part  played  by  the  Jews  in  ancient  and  modern  history.— 
•SVm  Francisco  Chronicle.. 

A  succinct,  well-written  history  of  a  wonderful  race.— Buffalo  Courier. 

The  best  hand-book  of  Jewish  history  that  readers  of  any  class  can 
find.— New  York  Herald. 

A  convenient  and  attractive  hand-book  of  Jewish  history. — Clcviland 
Plain  Dialer. 

The  work  is  an  admirable  one,  and  as  amanunl  of  Jewish  history  it 
may  be  commended  to  persons  of  every  race  and  ereeo. — I'hiUiddpk'ui 
Times. 

Altogether  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  another  book  on  this  subject 
containing  so  much  information. — American  (Philadelphia). 

Lady  Magnus'  book  is  a  valuable  addition  to  the  s(ore-houce  of  litera- 
tme  that  we  already  have  about  the  Jews. — Charleston  ($.  C.)  News. 

We  should  like  to  see  this  volume  in  the  library  of  every  school  in  the 
State.— Albany  Argus. 

A  succinct,  helpful  portrayal  of  Jewish  history.— .Boston  Post. 

Bound  in  Cloth.        Price,  postpaid,  $1.00,  Library  Edition. 
75  cents,  School  Edition. 


"THINK  AND  THANK." 

A  Tale  for  the  Young,  Narrating  in  Romantic  Form  the 

Boyhood  of  Sir  Moses  Montefiore. 
WITH    SIX    i:LL,USTIlATIONS. 

BY  SAMUEL  W.  COOPER. 


OPINIONS  OFTHE  PRESS. 

A  graphic  and  iuterestit-g  story,  full  of  incident  and  adveru'.ire,  with 
an  admirable  npirit  attending  il  consonant  with  the  kindly  arM  sweet, 
though  courageous  and  energetic  temper  of  the  distinguished  philan 
thropist.—  American  (Philadelphia). 

THINK  AND  THANK  is  a  most  useful  corrective  to  race  pr  j udice.  It 
Js  also  deep'y  interesting  as  a  biographical  sketch  of  a  distinguished 
Englishman.— Philadelphia  Ledger. 

A  fine  book  for  boysof  any  class  to  read. — Public  Opinion  (Washington). 

It  will  hnve  especial  interest  for  Ihe  boys  of  his  race,  bnt  all  school 
boys  can  well  afford  to  read  it  and  profit  by  it. — Albany  Evening  Journal. 

Told  simply  and  well. — New  York  Sun. 

An  excellent  story  for  children.— Indianapolis  Journal. 

The  old  as  well  as  the  young  may  learn  a  lesson  from  it. — Jewish 
Exponent. 

Jt  is  a  thrilling  story  exceedingly  well  told.— American  Israelite. 

The  book  is  written  in  a  plain,  simple  style,  and  is  well  adapted  for 
Sunday-school  libraries. — Jtwisli  Spectator. 

It  is  one  of  the  very  few  books  in  the  English  language  which  can  bn 
placed  in  the  hands  of  a  Jewish  boy  with  the  assurance  of  arousing  and 
maintaining  his  interest.— Hebrew  Journal. 

Intended  for  the  young,  but  may  well  be  read  by  their  elders.— Detroit 
Free  Press. 

Bright  and  attractive  reading.— Philadelphia  Press. 

THINK  AND  THANK  will  please  boys,  and  it  will  be  found  popular 
in  Sunday-school  libraries. — J\"ew  York  Herald. 

The  story  is  a  beautiful  one,  and  gives  a  clear  insight  into  the  circum- 
stances,  the  training  and  the  motives  that  gave  impulse  and  energy  to 
the  life-work  of  the  great  philanthropist.— Kansas  City  Times. 

We  should  be  glad  to  know  that  this  little  book  has  a  large  circulation 
among  Gentiles  as  well  as  among  the  "  chosen  people."  It  lias  no  truce 
of  religious  bigotry  about  it,  and  its  perusal  cannot  but  serve  to  make 
Christian  and  Jew  better  known  to  each  other. — Philadelphia  Telegraph. 

Bound  in  Cloth.  Price,  postpaid,  50c. 


RABBI  AND  PRIEST. 

A  STORY. 

BY  MILTON  GOLDSMITH. 


OPINIONS  OF  THE    PRESS. 

The  author  has  attempted  to  depict  faithfully  the  customs  and  prac« 
dees  of  the  Russian  people  and  government  in  connection  with  the 
Jewish  population  of  that  country.  The  book  is  a  strong  and  well  writ 
ten  story.  We  read  and  suffer  with  the  sufferers.— Public  Opinion 
(Washington). 

Although  addressed  to  Jews,  with  an  appeal  to  them  to  seek  free 
dom  and  peace  in  America,  it  ought  to  be  read  by  humane  people  of  all 
races  and  religions.  Mr.  Goldsmith  is  a  master  of  English,  and  his 
pure  style  is  one  of  the  real  pleasures  of  the  story.— Philadelphia  Bulle 
tin. 

The  book  has  the  merit  of  being  well  written,  is  highly  entertaining. 
and  it  cannot  fail  to  prove  of  interest  to  all  who  may  want  to  acquaint 
themselves  in  the  matter  of  the  condition  of  affairs  that  has  recently 
beau  attracting  universal  attention.— San  Francisco  Call. 

RABBI  AND  PRIEST  has  genuine  worth,  and  is  entitled  to  a  rank 
among  the  foremost  of  its  class. — Minneapolis  Tribune. 

The  writer  tells  his  story  from  the  Jewish  standpoint,  and  tells  it 
well.— Ft.  Louis  Republic. 

The  descriptions  of  life  in  Russia  are  vivid  and  add  greatly  to  the 
charm  of  the  book. — Buffalo  Courier. 

A  very  thrilling  story.  —Charleston  (S.  C.)  News. 

Very  like  the  horrid  tales  that  come  from  unhappy  Russia.— hew 
Orleans  Picayune. 

The  situations  are  dramatic  ;  the  dialogue  is  spirited.— Jewish  Mes 
senger. 

A  history  of  passing  events  in  an  interesting  form.— Jewish  Tidings. 

RABBI  AND  PRIEST  will  appeal  to  the  sympathy  of  every  reader  in  its 
touching  simplicity  and  truthfulness.— Jewish  Spectator. 


Bound  in  Cloth.  Price,  Post-paid,  $1. 


OF  THE  GHETTO 


BEING 

PICTURES  OF  A  FEQULI/1R  PEOPLE. 


BY  I.  ZANGWHX. 


OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS. 

The  art  of  a  Hogarth  or  a  Cruikshank  could  not  have  made  types  of 
character  stand  out  with  greater  force  or  in  bolder  relief  than  has  the 
pen  of  this  author. — Philadelphia  Record. 

It  is  one  of  the  best  pictures  of  Jewish  life  and  thought  that  we  have 
seen  since  the  publication  of  "Daniel  Deronda."— London  Pall  Mall 
Gazette. 

This  book  is  not  a  mere  mechanical  photographic  reproduction  of  the 
people  it  describes,  but  a  glowing,  vivid  portrayal  of  them,  with  all  the 
pulsating  sympathy  of  one  who  understands  them,  their  thoughts  and 
feelings,  with  all  the  picturesque  fidelity  of  the  artist  who  appreciates 
the  spiritual  significance  of  that  which  he  seeks  to  delineate.— Hebrew 
Journal. 

Its  sketches  of  character  have  the  highest  value.  .  .  .  Not  often 
do  we  note  a  book  so  fresh,  true  and  in  every  way  helpful.— Philadelphia 
Evening  Telegraph. 

A  strong  and  remarkable  book.  It  is  not  easy  to  find  a  parallel  to  it. 
We  do  not  know  of  any  other  novel  which  deals  so  fully  and  so  authori 
tatively  with  Judaea  in  modern  London.— Speaker,  London. 

Among  the  notable  productions  of  the  time.  .  .  .  All  that  is  here 
portrayed  is  unquestionable  truth.— Jewish  Exponent. 

Many  of  the  pictures  will  be  recognized  at  once  by  those  who  have 
visited  London  or  are  at  all  familiar  with  the  life  of  that  city.— Detroit 
Free  Press. 

It  is  a  succession  of  sharply-penned  realistic  portraya.ls. — Baltimore 
American, 


TWO  VOLUMES. 
Bound  in  Cloth.  Price,  postpaid,  $2.50. 


SOME  JEWISH  WOMEN, 


HENRY  ZIRNDORF. 


OPINIONS   OF   THE  PRESS  s 

Moral  purity,  nobility  of  soul,  self-sacrifice,  deep  affection  and  devotion, 
sorrow  and  happiness  all  enter  into  these  biographies,  and  the  interest 
felt  in  their  perusal  is  added  to  by  the  warmth  and  sympathy  which  the 
author  displays  and  by  his  cultured  and  vigorous  style  of  writing.— 
Philadelphia  Record. 

His  methods  are  at  once  a  simplification  and  expansion  of  Josephus  and 
the  Talmud, storiessimply  told,  faithful  presentation  of  the  virtues,  andnot 
infrequently  the  vices,  *of  characters  sometimes  legendary,  generally 
real.—  Keio  York  World. 

The  lives  here  given  are  interesting  in  all  cases,  and  are  thrilling  in 
some  c&aes.— Public  Opinion  (Washington,  D.  C.). 

The  volume  is  one  of  universal  historic  interest,  and  is  a  portrayal  of 
the  early  trials  of  Jewish  women. — Boston  Herald. 

Though  the  chapters  are  brief,  they  are  clearly  the  result  of  deep  and 
thorough  research  that  gives  the  modest  volume  an  historical  and  critical 
value. — Philadelphia  Times. 

It  is  an  altogether  creditable  undertaking  that  the  present  author  has 
brought  to  so  gratifying  a  close — the  silhouette  drawing  of  Biblical 
female  character  against  the  background  of  those  ancient  historic  times. 
— Minneapolis  Tribune. 

Henry  Zirndorf  ranks  high  as  a  student,  thinker  and  writer,  and  this 
little  book  will  go  far  to  encourage  the  study  of  Hebrew  literature. — 
Denver  Republican. 

The  book  is  gracefully  written,  and  has  many  strong  touches  of  char 
acterizations.—  Toledo  Blade. 

The  sketches  are  based  upon  available  history  and  are  written  in  clear 
narrative  style. — Galvcston  News. 

Henry  Zirndorf  has  done  a  piece  of  work  of  much  literary  excellence 
in  "  SOME  JEWISH  WOMEN." — &£.  Louis  Post- Dispatch. 

It  is  an  attractive  book  in  appearance  and  full  of  curious  biographical 
research. — Baltimore  Sun. 

The  writer  shows  careful  research  and  conscientiousness  in  making 
his  narratives  historically  correct  and  in  giving  to  each  heroine  her  just 
due. — American  Israelite  (Cincinnati). 


Bound  in  Cloth,  Ornamental,  Gilt  Top.    Price, postpaid,  $1.25. 


HISTORY  Of  THE  JEWS. 

BY 

PROFESSOR  H.  GRAETZ. 


Vol.      I.    From  the  Earliest  Period  to  tlie  Death  of  Simon  the 

Maccabee  (135  B.  C.  E.). 
Vol.     II.    From  the  Reijjn  of  Hyrcamis  to  the  Completion  of  the 

Babylonian.  Talmud  (50O  C.  E.). 
Vol.  III.    From  the  Completion  of  the  liahylouian  Talmud   to 

the   Banishment  of  the   Jews  from  England  (129O 

C.  E.). 

Vol.  IV.     From  the  Rise  of  the  Kahbala  (1370  C.  E.)  to  the  Per 
manent  Settlement  of  the  Marranosin  Holland  (1618 

C.  E.). 
Vol.      Ar.     From  the  Chmielnicki  Persecution  in  Poland  (1C IS 

C.  E.)  to  the  Present  Time. 


OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS. 

Professor  Graetz's  History  is  universally  accepted  as  a  conscientious 
and  reliable  contribution  to  religious  literature.— Philadelphia  Telegraph. 

Aside  from  his  value  as  a  historian,  he  makes  his  pages  charming  by 
all  the  little  side-lights  and  illustrations  which  only  come  at  the  beck 
of  genius. — Chicago  Inter-Ocean. 

The  writer,  who  is  considered  by  far  the  greatest  of  Jewish  historians, 
is  the  pioneer  in  his  field  of  work — history  without  theology  or  polemics. 

.  .  .  His  monumental  work  promises  to  be  the  standard  by  which 
all  other  Jewish  histories  are  to  be  measured  by  Jews  for  many  years  to 
come. — Baltimore  American. 

Whenever  the  subject  constrains  the  author  to  discuss  the  Christian 
religion,  he  is  animated  by  a  spirit  not  unworthy  of  the  philosophic  and 
high-minded  hero  of  Lessing's  "  Nathan  the  Wise."— New  York  Sun. 

It  is  an  exhaustive  and  scholarly  work,  for  which  the  student  of  his 
tory  has  leason  to  be  devoutly  thankful.  .  .  .  It  will  be  welcomed 
also  for  the  writer's  excellent  style  and  for  the  almost  gossipy  way  in 
which  he  turns  aside  from  the  serious  narrative  to  illumine  his  pages 
with  illustrative  descriptions  of  life  and  scenery.— Detroit  Free  Press. 

One  of  the  striking  features  of  the  compilation  is  its  succinctness  and 
rapidity  of  narrative,  while  at  the  same  time  necessary  detail  is  not 
sacrificed. — Minneapolis  Tribune. 

Whatever  controversies  the  work  may  awaken,  of  its  noble  scholarship 
there  can  be  no  question. — Richmond  Dispatch. 

If  one  desires  to  study  the  history  of  the  Jewish  people  under  the 
direction  of  a  scholar  and  pleasant  writer  who  is  in  sympathy  with  his 
subject  because  he  is  himself  a  Jew,  he  should  resort  to  the  volumes  of 
Graetz.— Review  of  Reviews  (New  York). 

Bound  in  Cloth.  Price,  postpaid,  $3  per  volume. 


SABBATH  HOURS. 

THOUGHTS. 
By  LIEBMAN  ADLER. 


OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS. 

Rabbi  Adler  was  a  man  of  strong  and  fertile  mind,  and  his  sermons 
are  eminently  readable.— Sunday  School  Times. 

As  one  turns  from  sermon  to  sermon,  he  gathers  a  wealth  of  precept, 
which,  if  he  would  practice,  he  would  make  both  himself  and  others 
happier.  We  might  quote  from  every  page  some  noble  utterance  or 
sweet  thought  well  worthy  of  the  cherishing  by  either  Jew  or  Christian. 
— Richmond  Dispatch. 

The  topics  discussed  are  in  the  most  instances  practical  in  their 
nature.  All  are  instructive,  and  passages  of  rare  eloquence  are  of  fre 
quent  occurrence. — San  Francisco  Call. 

The  sermons  are  simple  and  careful  studies,  sometimes  of  doctrine, 
but  more  often  of  teaching  and  precept. — Chicago  Times. 

He  combined  scholarly  attainment  with  practical  experience,  and 
these  sermons  cover  a  wide  range  of  subject.  Some  of  them  are  singu 
larly  modern  in  tone. —Indianapolis  JVcics. 

They  are  modern  sermons,  dealing  with  the  problems  of  the  day,  and 
convey  the  interpretation  which  these  problems  should  receive  in  the 
light  of  the  Old  Testament  history.— Boston  Herald. 

While  this  book  is  not  without  interest  in  those  communities  where 
there  is  no  scarcity  of  religious  teaching  and  influence,  it  cannot  fail  to 
be  particularly  so  in  those  communities  where  there  is  but  little  Jewish 
teaching. — Baltimore  American. 

The  sermons  are  thoughtful  and  earnest  in  tone  and  draw  many  forci 
ble  and  pertinent  lessons  from  the  Old  Testament  records. — Syracuse 
Herald. 

They  are  saturated  with  Bible  lore,  but  every  incident  taken  from  the 
Old  Testament  is  made  to  illustrate  some  truth  in  modern  life.—  San 
Francisco  Chronicle. 

They  are  calm  and  conservative,  .  .  .  applicable  in  their  essential 
meaning  to  the  modern  religious  needs  of  Gentile  as  well  as  Jew.  In 
style  they  are  eminently  clear  and  direct.— Review  of  Reviews  (New  York). 

Able,  forcible,  helpful  thoughts  upon  themes  most  essential  to  the 
prosperity  of  the  family,  society  and  the  state.—  Public  Opinion  (Washing 
ton,  D.  C.).  . 

Bound  in  Cloth.  Price,  postpaid,  $1.25, 


PAPERS 

OF  THE 

Jewish  Women's  Congress 

HELD  AT  CHICAGO,  SEPTEMBER,  1893. 


OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS. 

This  meeting  was  held  during  the  first  week  of  September,  and  was 
marked  by  the  presentation  of  some  particularly  interesting  addresses 
and  plans.  This  volume  is  a  complete  report  of  the  sessions.— Chicago 
Times. 

The  collection  in  book  form  of  the  papers  read  at  the  Jewish  Women's 
Congress  „  .  .  makes  an  interesting  and  valuable  book  of  the  history 
and  affairs  of  the  Jewish  women  of  America  and  England. — St.  Louis 
Post-Dispatch. 

A  handsome  and  valuable  souvenir  of  an  event  of  great  significance 
to  the  people  of  the  Jewish  faith,  and  of  much  interest  and  value  to  in 
telligent  and  well-informed  people  of  all  faiths.— Kansas  City  Times. 

The  Congress  was  a  branch  of  the  parliament  of  religions  and  was  a 
great  success,  arousing  the  interest  of  Jews  and  Christians  alike,  and 
bringing  together  from  all  parts  of  the  country  women  interested  in 
their  religion,  following  similar  lines  of  work  and  sympathetic  in  ways 
of  thought.  .  .  .  The  papers  in  the  volume  are  all  of  interest.— 
Detroit  Free  Press. 

The  Jewish  Publication  Society  of  America  has  done  a  good  work  in 
gathering  up  and  issuing  in  a  well-printed  volume  the  "  Papers  of  the 
Jewish  Women's  Congress."— Cleveland  Plain-Dealer. 

Bound  in  Cloth.  Price,  Postpaid,  $1. 


OLD 
EUROPEAN   JEWRIES 

By  DAVID  PHILIPSON,  D.D. 


OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS 

A  good  purpose  is  served  in  this  unpretending  little  book,  .  .  . 
which  contains  an  amount  and  kind  of  information  that  it  would  be 
difficult  to  find  elsewhere  without  great  labor.  The  author's  subject  is 
the  Ghetto,  or  Jewish  quarter  in  European  cities.— Literary  World 
(Boston). 

It  is  interesting  ...  to  see  the  foundation  of  ...  so  much 
fiction  that  is  familiar  to  us— to  go,  as  the  author  here  has  gone  in  one 
of  his  trips  abroad,  into  the  remains  of  the  old  Jewries.— Baltimore  Sun. 

His  book  is  a  careful  study  limited  to  the  official  Ghetto.— Cincinnati 
Commercial-  Gazette. 

Out-of-the-way  information,  grateful  to  the  delver  in  antiquities, 
forms  the  staple  of  a  work  on  the  historic  Ghettos  of  Europe. — Mil 
waukee  Sentinel, 

He  tells  the  story  of  the  Ghettos  calmly,  sympathetically  and  con 
scientiously,  and  his  deductions  are  in  harmony  with  those  of  all  other 
intelligent  and  fair-minded  men. — Richmond  Dispatch. 

A  striking  study  of  the  results  of  a  system  that  has  left  its  mark  upon 
the  Jews  of  all  countries. — San  Francisco  Chronicle. 

He  has  carefully  gone  over  all  published  accounts  and  made  discrimi 
nating  use  of  the  publications,  both  recent  and  older,  on  his  subject,  in 
German,  French  and  English.— Reform  Advocate  (Chicago). 


Bound  in  Cloth  Price,  Postpaid,  $1.25 


JEWISH  LITERATURE 


AND 


OTHER  ESSAYS 

By 


OPINIONS  OF  THE   PRESS 

There  is  a  very  significant  sense  in  which  it  is  impossible)  really  to  under 
stand  the  Bible  unless  one  knows  something  of  the  working  ot  the  Jewish 
mind  in  letters  since  it  was  written.  One  can  heartily  commeud  this  little 
volume  to  people  who  want  this  information. — TALCOTT  WILLIAMS,  l>ook 
News. 

The  essays  have  the  charm  of  an  attractive  style,  combined  with  a  sub  ecv 
of  great  and  varied  interest. — Independent. 

A  very  informing  review  of  the  entire  round  of  Jewish  intellectual  activity. 
— Sunday  School  Times. 

Its  great  merit,  from  the  non-Jewish  standpoint,  is  tliat  it  looks  at  civiliza 
tion  and  history  and  literature  from  a  new  point  of  vfew  ;  it  opens  unsus 
pected  vistas,  reveals  a  wealth  of  fact  and  of  opinion  before  unknown  — 
Public  Opinion.  » 

The-ruth"r  shows  in  every  chapter  the  devoted  love  for  Judaism  .vhich 
prompted  the  work,  and  which  gave  him  e  thusiasm  and  patience  for  the 
thorough  research  and  study  evinced. — Denver  Republican, 

A  snlendid  and  eloquent  recital  of  the  glories  of  Jewish  religion,  philoso 
phy  and  song. — Philadelphia  Jlecord. 

The  result  of  great  research  by  a  careful,  painstaking  scholar.— A Ibany 
Journal. 

The  reader  who  is  unacquainted  with  the  literary  life  of  the  highest  circles 
of  Jewish  society  will  have  his  eyes  opened  to  things  of  which,  perhaps,  he 
Las  never  dreamed. — New  Orleans  Picayune. 

For  popular,  yet  scholarly  treatment,  and  the  varied  character  of  it.s 
themes,  Dr.  Gustav  Karpeles' "  Jewish  Literature  and  other  Essays"  is  an 
almost  ideal  volume  for  a  Jewish  Publication  Society  to  issue. — Jewish  Mes 
senger  (New  York). 

All  of  the  essays  show  that  thorough  erudition,  clear  discernment  and 
criticism  for  which  their  author  is  noted. — Jewish  Exponent  (Philadelphia). 


Bound  in  Cloth.    Price,  Postpaid,  $1.25 


Readings  and  Recitations 


FOR 


JEWISH  HOMES  AND  SCHOOLS 


COMPILED  BY 

ISABEL  E.    COHEN 


OPINIONS  OF  THE   PRESS, 

It  would  be  difficult  to  name  a  similar  collection  as  dignified  as  this.— 
Boston  Herald. 

To  many  the  revelation  of  the  extent  to  which  English  literature  is 
indebted  to  the  Hebrew  Bible  for  its  themes  and  images  will  come  as  a 
surprise. — New  Orleans  Times-Democrat. 

There  is  a  rich  fund  of  literature  to  choose  from  in  making  a  selection 
of  the  kind,  for  the  Old  Testament  and  the  stories  of  the  old  Jewish 
writers  have  furnished  many  themes  to  our  poets — both  English  and 
American— from  Browning,  Longfellow,  Whittier  and  Aldrich,  to  Edwin 
Arnold. — Baltimore  Sun. 

One  who  reads  these  selections  will  find  therein  the  casus  esse  of  Juda 
ism,  and  the  more  that  its  inspiration  and  the  treasures  of  its  own  litera 
ture  are  thus  made  accessible  to  Jew  and  non-Jew  alike,  the  stronger 
will  be  the  "hooks  of  steel "  by  which  it  will  clasp  the  affection  of  its 
followers.— Jen- isfi  South  (Richmond). 

The  compiler  has,  with  rare  taste,  selected  from  English  literature  the 
masterpieces  of  song  and  thought,  written  under  the  inspiration  and  as 
paraphrases  of  Biblical  poetry.  To  these  have  been  added  English 
versions  of  some  of  the  choicest  gems  from  the  divan  of  Jewish  poets. 
This  book  should  be  found  in  every  Jewish  home  ;  it  should  find  its  way 
into  every  Jewish  Sabbath-School ;  for  none  will  lay  it  aside  without 
feeling  that  a  religion,  which  could  intone  such  songs  and  inspire  such 
bards,  has  every  claim  upon  the  intelligent  reverence  of  those  in  its 
household  born. — E.  G.  II.,  in  Reform  Advocate  (Chicago). 


Bound  in  Cloth,  Price,  Postpaid,  $1.25 

"       "  Half  Morocco,  "  "         $1.75 


SPECIAL  SERIES 


No,  1,   The  Persecution  of  the  Jews  in  Russia 

With  a  Map 
Showing  the  Pale  of  Jewish  Settlement 

Also,  an  Appendix,  giving  an  Abridged  Summary  of  Laws, 

Special  and  Restrictive,  relating  to  the  Jews  in 

Russia,  brought  down  to  the  year  1890. 

Paper, Price,  postpaid,  25c. 


No.  I    Yoegele's  Marriage  and  Other  Tales 

BY  LOUIS  SCHNABEL 

Paper, Price,  postpaid,  25c. 

No,  3.    THE  TALMDD 

REPRINTED  FROM  TH3 

"LITERARY  REMAINS" 

OF  EMANUEL  DEUTSCH 
Boards.  ....      Price,  nostnaid.  3Oo 


STUDIES   IN  JUDAISM 

BY  S.  SCHECHTER,  M.A. 
Reader  in  Talmudic  in  the  University  of  Cambridge 


OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS 

A  mine  of  fresh  information  and  fresh  ideas,  conveyed  in  a  style  that 
is  graceful  and  vivid  and  frequently  witty. — I.  Zangwill. 

Mr.  Schechter  is  one  of  the  few  men  whom  we  possess  to-day  who  seem 
to  understand  that  to  popularize  Judaism  is  not  unworthy  of  the  greatest 
scholar.  And  what  more  than  anything  else  attracts  us  to  his  writings— 
a  quality  which  marks  in  an  eminent  degree  the  collection  just  published 
—is  not  merely  the  lucidity  of  the  style  and  the  exposition,  but  the  fact, 
most  significant  in  these  days  of  dominant  philology  and  archaeoiogy, 
that  Mr.  Schechter  remembers  that  Judaism  after  all  is  a  religion  and 
not  merely  an  interesting  congeries  of  problems  inviting  the  curiosity  of 
the  historian  and  antiquarian  or  the  bibliographer.— Reform  Advocate 
(Chicago). 

The  value  of  the  book  lies  in  its  careful  interpretation  of  the  more 
serious  side  of  Hebrew  theology,  and  for  this  reason  it  may  be  appreci 
ated  at  its  true  worth  by  many  a  scholar. — New  York  Herald. 

It  is  very  much  to  be  doubted  if  in  any  single  volume  yet  published  is 
to  be  found  so  complete  a  picture  of  modern  Judaism,  of  its  aims,  pur 
poses  and  beliefs,  as  is  given  us  in  this  volume  of  collected  essays.— Bos 
ton  Advertiser. 

They  possess  not  only  the  element  of  novelty  to  general  readers  inter 
ested  in  such  themes,  but  are  based  on  thorough  scholarship  and  admir 
able  literary  qualities. — Jewish  Messenger  (New  York). 

A  number  of  the  articles  must  be  considered  real  contributions  to  the 
literature  which  has  of  late  sprung  up  in  treatment  of  the  phases  of  Jew 
ish  history  in  the  vernacular.— Jewish  Criterion  (Pittsburg). 

As  an  educational  source  the  essays  are  a  treasure  house  to  the  lay  read 
er.—  Cliicago  Israelite. 


Bound  in  Cloth.     Price,  Postpaid,  $1.75. 


Jewish  Life  in  the  Middle  Ages 

BY  ISRAEL  ABRAHAMS,  M.A. 


OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS 

The  research  involved  in  this  piece  of  work  must  have  been  patient 
and  profound ;  nevertheless  the  author  presents  his  results  in  an  attract 
ive  manner. — Nation. 

The  author's  study  of  the  Ghetto  reveals  many  facts  Jews  and  Chris 
tians  do  not  know.— New  York  Times. 

Contains  a  vast  amount  of  interesting  information. — New  York  Sun. 

This  is  a  book  which  will  be  read  with  interest  by  a  large  public,  and 
cannot  fail  to  be  of  great  help  to  the  student.  It  is  a  valuable  contribu 
tion  to  Jewish  literature.  ...  It  is,  indeed,  an  excellent  and  complete 
picture  of  medieval  Jewish  life  that  the  author  has  drawn  for  us.— 
REV.  DR.  K.  KOHLER,  American  Hebrew  (New  York). 

We  know  of  no  single  work  which  imparts  so  much  information  in  this 
field.— Jeivish  Messenger  (New  York). 

The  book  is  indeed  fascinating,  and  we  know  of  no  work  more  apt  to 
serve  as  a  magnet  that  will  lead  our  young  people  to  read  more  of  Jewish 
history  than  this  charming  book.— Menorah  Monthly. 

The  whole  scale  of  mediaeval  life  as  it  was  among  the  Jews  ...  is 
revealed  with  an  accuracy  which  only  the  patient  researches  of  a  stu 
dent  and  a  scholar  can  bring  to  the  surface.—  American  Jewess. 


Bound  in  Cloth.     Price,  Postpaid,  $1.75 


/ 


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